Say
by varietyofwords
Summary: Positive. Pregnant. Positive. Pregnant. Happy Face. Casey, Cappie, and Evan explore the minefield that is a surprise pregnancy. Includes all characters and an assortment of pairings.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **This story operates on the idea that the midterm kiss went a wee bit farther. It also works on the assumption that it is late February. Mary Kay Letourneau was a teacher who was convicted of statutory rape of her then thirteen-year-old student. She had two children by him, and they are now married.

* * *

There are only two places on campus one is guaranteed not to run into a fellow Greek, at least one who would be dying to spread this piece of information around Greek row; Cappie's secret bar and the polymer sciences building.

Casey and Ashleigh had chosen the later figuring it would be cleaner and held a zero percent chance of running into Cappie.

In a bathroom on the fifth floor of the polymer sciences building, Zeta Beta Zeta President Casey Cartwright sat on a white, porcelain throne with her blue jeans and panties puddle around her feet and a white stick in her hands.

"Give me another one," Casey demands on the verge of hysterics.

"That was the last one," Ashleigh tells her.

"It can't be," Casey says, her eyes glistening with tears.

"Case, we bought twenty. You've taken twenty," Ashleigh tells her as Casey's eyes scan the trashcan by the toilet. An assorted collection of shapes and sizes, but all the same ghostly white, pregnancy tests met Casey's eyes.

_Positive. Pregnant. Positive. Pregnant. Happy Face._

One even had the gall to tell her 'Congratulations.'

There is nothing congratulatory about _this_.

Out of the corner of her eye she spots one on the floor and snatches it.

"This one says negative!" Casey says as she tries to hold the tears back.

"Case, that's the one you made me take to make sure they actually work," Ashleigh reminds her.

"Oh," Casey whispers. "My purse is over there. Can you get another one or five? Ten. Ten would be good."

"Case, you're pregnant," Ashleigh informs her.

"Don't say that," Casey snaps.

"Casey, you're pregnant," Ashleigh pauses. "Hey, it's not Jonah's, is it? Because if it is, you could totally room with Mary Kay Letourneau."

Casey's eyes bulge at Ashleigh's suggestion and she rips the empty box out of Ashleigh's hands.

"Oh thank God," Casey says on a exhale of breath. "A true positive can only be detected after three weeks of…" Casey's voice trails off. "I've missed three periods, too. How did I not notice?"

"Case, you can't beat yourself up over this. Physical abuse is not good for the baby," Ashleigh says attempting a joke and only receiving a dirty look from Casey before she buries her head in her hands.

"What am I going to do, Ash?"

There is a fundamental problem when you assume things. You make an ass out of you and me, or that's at least what Cappie told her _all_ the time.

And when Ashleigh and Casey assumed that nobody from the Greek system would be on the fifth floor of the polymer sciences building, they had forgotten the fact that Casey's brother, Rusty, would probably be there.

In fact on that afternoon, not only was Rusty on the fifth floor of the polymer sciences building, but the entire Kappa Tau Gamma house was there fulfilling community service hours, including Wade and Beaver, who had been attempting to clean the girls' bathroom on the fifth floor of the polymer sciences building.

The two who had conveniently heard the part that made their ears perk up with interest.

"_Ash, it might not be Evan's."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_I mean, I slept with Cappie."_

So figuring that Casey was the kind of girl who would tell his beloved president that he had the distinct possibility of becoming a daddy, Wade had sworn Beaver to secrecy.

And then a day passed. And then another day. And then another day.

And then days turned into a week.

A week and a half to be exact.

And Wade was tired of sitting around waiting for Casey Cartwright to tell Cappie that she might have his spawn in her oven. So he did the only logical thing he could do.

Tell Cappie.

"Cap, I need to talk to you."

* * *

Every fiber of Casey's being hurts. Her feet hurt. Her back hurt. Her stomach never seems to be happy anymore.

But most of all, Casey's head hurts. Hurts from thinking about _everything_. Hurts from pretending that she's fine. Hurts from _worrying_ about the future.

Her and her baby's future.

Right now, there are three things Casey knows for sure. She doesn't trust Frannie, who is currently attempting to weasel her way back into the sorority via Lizzi. She's pregnant. Like thirteen weeks pregnant with a baby.

A _human_ baby.

And she knows that same baby is due September thirteenth.

And that she has no idea what she is going to do.

Make that four things.

Last night, after her appointment at Planned Parenthood in the next town over, Casey had laid in bed rattling off ideas about her future.

It was too late for an abortion. Her twelve weeks were up, so her options were narrowed down to two.

Adoption. Or motherhood.

An early September due date meant that as long as Casey, and Ashleigh, managed to keep her pregnancy a secret until school let out in May, she could have the baby and return to school without anyone knowing. Save for Ashleigh, of course.

The problem with that plan was that she would have to go home this summer, including not only telling her parents but Rusty as well, who was bound to ask who the father was.

And then she'd still have to decide between adoption and motherhood.

There was a ZBZ last year who had gotten herself into "trouble," was sent off to live with an elderly aunt in Minnesota by her parents, and forced to give up her baby. When she came back, she wasn't the same as before. Her eyes had lost their sparkle and in its place was this sadness she couldn't mask. Most nights, the rest of the girls went to bed to the sound of her tears.

Casey isn't sure she could handle that.

And if she decided to keep the baby, if she decided to raise the baby alone, she would have to tell her parents and Rusty and, probably, the ZBZ girls. Because, after all, there are only three options she thinks is possible.

One, she has the baby in Chicago and her parents raise it until she graduates and gets a job.

Two, she has the baby in Chicago, transfers to Loyola, lives at home, and still depends heavily on her parents to raise her baby.

Three, she drops out of school, gets a job, has the baby, and prays that one day she can return to school for her degree.

_Or you could tell Cappie_, a voice deep inside of her reminds her.

_And Evan_, another voice offers.

"No," Casey says forcefully as she walks past the coffee cart. A couple of people turn and stare at her but she ignores them, too wrapped up in her own problems to care about them. A hand lands on her arm and her head spins in bewilderment as she is pulled into the janitor's closet. The door shuts behind her and the hand pulls her around so she is staring at him directly in the eyes.

"Cappie," she drags out, surprised.

"You're pregnant?" He asks.

"I..."

"You're pregnant," he says as more of a statement than a question. "You're pregnant and I'm going to be a dad."

"Don't say that," Casey snaps. "You don't know that. It could be Evan's."

"So you _are_ pregnant," Cappie sighs, running his hand through his brown hair.

"I didn't say that," she says trying to back track.

"Casey, I'm not stupid," he tells her. "You can't twist your way out of this one."

"Watch me," she mumbles but he chooses to ignore her.

"I did the math. The last time we… you know, during midterms. Which puts you at a little over twelve weeks…" his voice trails off as he mentally tries to double check his math.

"Thirteen," Casey whispers.

"Too late for an abortion," he informs her.

"Is that what you want?" She backs away from him, disgust written her face.

"What? No. What I want is for you and I to get married, get an apartment, raise our baby, and be happy."

"And have both of us working dead-end jobs we hate until you decide this isn't what you really want or you miss the difficult choice of getting stoned or watching Old School for the millionth time. I don't think so," she says before turning and throwing open the door to leave.

"Casey!" Cappie calls after her. But she picks up her pace, trying to keep her tears in until she gets to the safety of her room.


	2. Chapter 2

Since sophomore year, Casey has always been the one with the plans, the goals, and the long to do lists. Unlike Ashleigh's desk, which is buried under a mountain of graded essays, old ZBZ social schedules, and scraps of paper, Casey's is neatly arranged with file folders, in and out boxes, a large calendar with every event and due date written on it, and a notepad for quick scribbles.

So Ashleigh wasn't surprised when Casey created a file folder entitled 'September Surprise,' printed out page after page of information on adoption and single motherhood, and typed up a flow chart of all her options and their perspective outcomes.

"I've purchased a plane ticket for next weekend so I can go home and tell me parents face to face," Casey says as she wraps up the presentation of her plan to Ashleigh.

"Case, there's a major flaw with your plan," Ashleigh tells her from her place atop her bed. "You haven't told Evan. Or Cappie."

"Cappie already knows," Casey absentmindedly tells her best friend as she sinks down onto her own bed.

"You told him? What did he say?"

"Wade told him," Casey informs her.

"Wade knows? How did he find out?" Ashleigh badgers.

"I don't know," Casey says as she gives Ashleigh an accusatory glare. "But Cappie knows and he wants us to get married and be one big happy family."

"So what's the problem?" Ashleigh asks. "He loves you. In a really big pretend to like your taste in music, let you eat the last piece of cheesecake, stand outside your window with a radio over my head, that makes me hate you love you kind of way."

"Now is not the time to be quoting _Grey's Anatomy_, Ash."

"Come on, Case. Cappie's your McDreamy. I don't know why you broke up with him in the first place."

"Have you forgotten the all-Greek ball freshman year? Or when he decided karaoke was more important than walking me home? Or the fact that he never goes to class?"

"But yet you had sex with a sixteen-year-old to make him jealous," Ashleigh reminds her.

"And what if the baby is Evan's?" Casey asks trying to change the subject. "I'm not going to stick Cappie with Evan's child."

"Like he would care! He loves you. He'd probably sell his soul to the devil if it meant he got to be with you," Ashleigh says. "Besides, I know you, Casey. And I know Evan. You two would never forget a condom. You would never lose yourself in a night of passion because something like this, something as big as this, could ruin a bid for the White House in fourteen years."

"It's not like that, Ashleigh," Casey spits back.

"Yeah because you lov…" The slam of the front door cuts Ashleigh off and Casey sends her an all too familiar glare.

"I know. Silence is golden."

* * *

Wade was used to girls storming from Cappie's bedroom at night. Usually their frustration over Cappie calling out Casey's name during sex would result in Wade getting a harsh slap to the face.

But on a Tuesday afternoon when Rebecca Logan stormed out of Cappie's bedroom, Wade attributed it to another reason.

"Afternoon, Rebecca," Wade says with a tip of Cappie's borrowed ten-gallon, cowboy hat.

"Oh, shove off," Rebecca spits back at him as she runs down the steps of the Kappa Tau house. Without a second glance, Wade makes his way to Cappie's room.

"You didn't tell her about the bun, did you?" Wade asks as he strolls through Cappie's open door.

"Nah," Cappie says as he dunks his ratty, cleaning cloth into the bucket of soapy water.

"Cleaning? Again?" Wade asks with a touch of concern floating in his voice.

"Yep," Cappie replies with a shrug.

"Come on, Cap. She's not worth it," Wade tells him.

Cappie stops his precise, circular movements and turns around to glare at his fellow fat brother.

"Don't _ever_ say that again," he spits out through gritted teeth.

"Alright," Wade says trying to calm his friend down. "Alright, Cappie. Any word, yet?"

"No…" Cappie trails off as he stands up and throws his arm over his brother's shoulders. "But I'm glad you're here. I'm figuring that I'm gonna have to get an apartment, since a frat house is no place to raise a child. And, since rules say the president has to live in the house, I'm going to have to step down. And with you being second in command, I want you to be president."

"Cap, you're talking crazy. She's probably already with Chambers, getting married, buying a house in the 'burbs, and what not," Wade informs him as he turns to face his friend.

"Maybe so," Cappie mutters before his voice rises back to it's usually octave. "But if the baby's mine, I'm going to be a dad. I'm going to be there. Casey can do what the heck she wants. But I'm going to be a dad."

"Casey's pregnant?" A voice interrupts their conversation and they both turn to find out where it's coming from.

"Spitter…" Cappie trails off.

"Casey? As in my sister, Casey? Pregnant?" Rusty asks with a look of sheer panic on his face.

* * *

Not surprisingly, the door to ZBZ is unlocked but Rusty is surprised there aren't girls on hand to scream an immediate, "Boy in the house."

"Casey!" Rusty yells as he shuts the door behind him. "Casey! Casey Cartwright!"

"Rusty?" His sister questions from the top of the stairs. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you," he tells her from his place on the third step of the staircase.

"Can't it wait?" Casey asks as she starts to ascend the staircase.

"No. I know about _it_," Rusty says with a raised eyebrow.

"Know about what?"

"I know about you and the… I know you're knapped." Casey's eyes open wider as she processes her brother's words.

"Wait there," Casey says before she turns on her heels and rushes to her room to slip on a jacket and a pair of ballet flats before returning to her younger brother. She grabs his hand and pulls him out of the house, letting the door slam behind them.

"Where did you hear this?" Casey hisses as they walk briskly down Greek row.

"So it's true?" Rusty asks. Casey brushes him off. "Case! It's it true?"

"Ugh," Casey groans. "Yes."

"And it's Cappie's?"

"Is that who told you?" Casey asks coming to a dead stop.

"No," Rusty says, his nostrils flaring. A sign that Casey is all to familiar with. A sign that Rusty is lying.

"He did!"

"No," Rusty reassures her.

"Yes, he did. You're lying to me."

"He didn't mean to, Casey."

"Did he send you over here?"

"No," Rusty sputters. "I find out my sister might be pregnant. I, naturally, want to know if it's true."

"You're pregnant?" A voice from behind them asks, breaking Casey's attention from the flaring of her brother's nostrils to the face of her ex-boyfriend, Evan.


	3. Chapter 3

"Evan," Casey manages to say before she swallows what taste distinctly like bile.

"You're pregnant?" He asks again, his eyes shifting from her face to her belly.

"Evan, can we talk about this?" Casey says with the same desperation in her voice as the night of the all Greek carnival and the kissing booth fiasco. "Somewhere that's not here?"

"That's it," he starts. "No denial. You're pregnant."

Casey breaks her eye contact with him to look at her brother helplessly.

"Yes," she meekly responds.

"How far along?" Evan asks as he pinches his nose between his thumb and index finger.

"Evan, not here."

"How far along?" He asks again.

"Thirteen weeks."

"Thirteen weeks," he repeats. "How long have you known?" He asks, his face a mixture of hurt and betrayal.

"A week and a half, give or take a day."

"And you didn't tell me?" He spits out.

"Evan, please. Can we go somewhere else to talk about this?" Casey asks, her eyes shifting as more and more people stop to stare at them. The desperation in her voice causes his shoulders to relax and he nods his head.

"You can use my dorm room," Rusty offers knowing that a situation like this cannot be hashed out at the Omega Chi house or ZBZ house or Kappa Tau house. "I'll go get Cappie and he'll meet you two there."

"Cappie?" Evan asks. "What do we need him for?" His voice tapers off as he gives her a horrified look. But she can't see it because as soon as the words flew out of her brother's mouth, she closed her eyes.

"I...I,uh," Evan says grasping for straws. "He might…You and he…Am I the father?"

"Evan, please, can we go somewhere else?" She asks again, her eyes still closed.

"Am I the father, Casey?"

"I…" She says while at the same time trying to will herself _not_ to cry.

"Am I the father, Casey?" He demands as tears roll down her cheeks.

"I can't be sure."

"You mean, you don't know," he barks as he runs a hand through his hair. "Un-fucking-believable."

"Evan, please. Let's just go to Rusty's room and talk about this."

"No," he says plainly. "I can't…I can't look at you right now. I can't look at you right now."

He backs away as he repeats his mantra, turns to cross the street, and runs into the Omega Chi Delta house, the door slamming behind him. Rusty tentatively reaches out to touch his sister's arm but she yanks it away as soon as his cool fingers land on her hot skin.

"Don't touch me," she snaps.

"Case, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to tell…"

"Rusty, walk away right now and I will not start beating the crap out of you," Casey spells out for him, her gaze still fixated on the shut door of Omega Chi.

Rusty opens his mouth the comment on how he doubts she would be able to beat him up in her…_condition_, but snaps it shut instead. Casey turns to look at him, her arms folded across her chest and a threatening glare on her face. She doesn't have to tell him twice before Rusty beat feet it down Greek row.

* * *

Tonight is a house meeting at Zeta Beta Zeta but Casey is seriously considering calling it off. By now, three hours after her confrontation with Evan on the street, Casey is sure that the entirety of Greek society knows of her situation and that Evan isn't the only possible sperm donor.

"Whore," someone hisses at her as she walks past them on Greek row. Casey, figuring it to be just another stupid TriPi, tries to ignore the other pedestrian's comment but is unable to help the stinging of tears behind her eyes.

"Now, now, Lana. That wasn't very nice. Now was it?" An all too familiar male voice says behind her. "Apologize to Casey."

"Cappie," she mumbles as she turns around to find Cappie talking to Lana Choi, president of Pi Pi Pi. His body position screams that of a kindergarten teacher and Casey realizes with a heavy heart that he's undermining another sorority president for her.

"_He loves you. He'd probably sell his soul to the devil if it meant he got to be with you."_

Ashleigh's words from yesterday morning come rushing back to her.

"Sorry," Lana says with an insincere tone.

"See. Isn't it better when we all get along?" Cappie says with his familiar smile as Lana pushes past him.

"The boys and I'll see you this weekend," he calls after her before turning his attention back to Casey and gives her a different smile. "Here. Let me help you with those," he says as he takes a step forward and lifts the books out of her arms. The decrease in weight makes Casey feel instantly better. Trying to balance all those books and three bags of items for the meeting tonight all the way from the library was starting to get to her.

"Advanced physiology. Delving into the criminal mind. Mind matters." He says as he reads off the titles of the books. "I'm guessing you settled on being a physiologist."

"Um, yeah," Casey replies as he gestures for her to continue to wherever she was going.

"Remember all those nights freshman year you spent debating over physiology and…What was it?"

"English," Casey fills in for him.

"Aw, yes. English. Charles Dickens. Homer. Jane Austen. And Jodi Picoult. Read her new novel yet?"

"No," She replies surprised that he still remembers her favorite author. Evan had always seemed surprised when she would mention that she was excited for Picoult's new novel to come out.

"It's pretty good. Death row inmate wants to donate his heart to the daughter of the women whose husband and other daughter he killed. If you want, you can borrow my copy," he offers as they stop on the front porch of the ZBZ house.

"You read it?" She asks, her voice coated in surprise.

"Yeah," he says with a shrug of his shoulders. "Do you want me to take these up to your room for you?"

"Um," Casey starts, her eyes shifting from his face to the house. "No, that's okay. I can take them." She stretches out her hand to accept the books back and Cappie gingerly places them into her outstretched arm. She turns around and fumbles with the doorknob of the house.

"Case," he says from behind her. "That thing with Evan today…"

"You heard about that?" She asks after turning back around to face him.

"Heard about it? I was there. And what he did…"

"Please, Cappie. I don't need your judgment on him too," Casey tells him and Cappie's jaw snap shut before he opens it again.

"Fair enough," he says with a shrug. "But if we need… _when_ we _all _need to get together to talk about this, I'm warning you now, I'm going to be involved."

"Fair enough," she says as she turns and opens the door to the house.

"See you at the Pan-Hellenic meeting Saturday," he tells her and she turns around once more to talk to him.

"Actually, Ashleigh is going to be there. I'm going home to, uh, tell my parents," she says.

"Good luck then. I'll see you when you get back. Bye, Case," he says before turning and walking down the pathway leading from the ZBZ house.

"Bye, Cap," she whispers and shuts the door.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **A piece of "War and Peace" is used in this part.

* * *

"Casey," Lizzi's voice calls from behind the closed door to Casey and Ashleigh's room. With a groan, Casey puts her highlighter in her textbook to hold her place and shuffles to the door.

"Lizzi," Casey says. She had been dreading this moment since she had found out about her 'September Surprise,' knowing that once Nationals found out about it, she would be forced to resign as president and leave the sorority. Maybe _that_ was why she ignored all the signs.

"What can I do for you, Lizzi?"

"We need to talk," Lizzi says, her usually cheerful voice sounds strange with so much seriousness interjected into it.

"Alright," Casey says as she opens the door to her room wider and lets Lizzi slip past her. Taking a seat on top of Casey's bed, Lizzi motions for her to shut the door to her room and take a seat across from her.

"One of the sisters informed me of your predicament," Lizzi starts and Casey would bet her life that it was Rebecca. "And, as you know, we ZBZs don't condone tattle telling. Or pregnancy, for that matter. But I've talked to Nationals and they are willing to turn a blind eye to _this_."

"Why?" Casey stammers out.

"Because you won a lot of friends when you offered to take the fall for past presidents' mistakes. Because you've done a great job of turning this house around. Because you are willing to take Frannie back into the house and into your heart at tonight's meeting. Because the other girls don't want to see you leave. Because _I_ recommend that you be allowed to stay."

Casey is taken aback by the majority of the reasons. She was sure that Rebecca, and Frannie, who's soon to be a part of the sorority again, would have kicked her to the curb immediately. And never in a million years would she have expected that Lizzi would go to bat for her, especially over this.

"Casey, we all make mistakes. Including me," Lizzi says. "Let's just say I know where you're coming from. And Ashleigh assures me that you have a plan to deal with this."

"Yeah," Casey whispers. "A lot of them."

"But they did lay out some conditions," Lizzi tells her.

"Okay…" Casey drags out prompting Lizzi to continue.

* * *

"With humility, I pledge my soul to Zeta Beta Zeta," Frannie says as she stands in front of Casey.

The only one to not have her candle light in the sacred diamond ceremony, Frannie's reinstatement to the ZBZ sisterhood depends on Casey's acceptance and the lighting of Casey's candle. Silence coats the room as Lizzi looks at her expectantly and fear dances across Frannie's face.

"I accept your pledge. And I welcome you back into my heart," Casey can hear herself saying. As Frannie lights her candle, she tries with all of her might not to blow it out.

* * *

The next morning, Casey finds herself standing outside of the ZBZ house talking to Frannie. Knowing that she has to leave for the airport soon, Casey had hoped that Frannie would call before showing up at the house.

"Who better to be my welcoming committee," Frannie says as she stop short of the steps, her read suitcase in tow. "I thought I'd start moving back in gradually."

Casey ascends the steps, her hands clasp tightly in front of her.

"I'm so glad we were able to come to this agreement," Frannie says as she sliders her hands into the front pockets of her jeans. "It's good to be home!"

"I'm glad too. But I wished you had called before you packed everything up."

"Oh, is Lizzi still in my room? I don't mind waiting," Frannie says with a shrug.

"Are you familiar with rule fifty-seven 'Q' in the ZBZ book of rules and ritual?"

"Fifty-seven 'Q'."

"It states that the ZBZ president has the right to put recently reinstated members on probation."

"It does," Frannie says, her lips pursed and her head nodding.

"Yes. And since active members on probation are not allowed to live in the house, I'm sorry to tell you that ZBZ rules prevent you from moving in today."

"Are you sorry, Casey?" Frannie asks.

"The agreement was that you'd be reinstated and you are. But for the good of the sisterhood, we need to be sure that you really have changed."

"Whatever's best for the sisterhood."

"I'm glad you understand."

"I do. And besides, you can't keep me on probation for more than three months. I believe that's rule sixty-two," Frannie says with a smile. Folding her hands of her chest, Casey watches as Frannie grabs the handle of her suitcase and heads back to wear she came from. With a sigh, she turns and walks back into the house to finish preparations for her quick trip home.

When she hears Lizzi walking down the stairs, she grabs the ZBZ rule book and walks towards the staircase.

"I wanted to return this," Casey says with her arms outstretched, the book in her hands. "And say thank you. I guess I hadn't realized I could use the rules to help me get what I want instead of trying to go around them."

"You're becoming an excellent leader, Casey," Lizzi tells her. "But I want you to keep the book."

"One question. Where you specifically thinking of rule fifty-seven 'Q' when you told me to reread the book?"

"Rule fifty-seven 'Q'? Hum, I'm not familiar with that one," Lizzi says before brushing past Casey and walking out the door. Shaking her head, Casey follows her outside.

"So, where are you off to?" Casey asks as they reach the taxi.

"Oklahoma chapter. Hazing gone haywire." With a laugh and a sigh, Lizzi turns to look at the girls assembled on the porch, Casey following suit. "Goodbye my sisters. Keep the principles of Zeta Beta Zeta close to your heart always." With a kick, she kicks her umbrella over her shoulder and turns to Casey.

"Farewell," Lizzi tells her and Casey is surprised she doesn't remind her to follow the conditions Nationals set for her.

"Bye!" The sisters call from behind her as Lizzi climbs into the taxi.

"I sure am going to miss Lizzi," Ashleigh says after she walks up to Casey.

"Really?" Casey asks her.

"Not at all!"

But Casey, surprisingly, is. Because Lizzi had done a lot for ZBZ. Because despite Lizzi's reassurance, Casey isn't sure she will be able to handle the presidency _and_ her pregnancy.

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are preparing for our decent into Chicago O'Hare International Airport. Please bring your tray tables and seat backs to the upright position and make sure your seatbelts are securely fashioned," a flight attendant says over the loud speaker causing Casey to jump. Her nerves are shot and she is not looking forward to seeing her parents. Because seeing them leads to eating dinner with them which leads to telling them.

Telling them that she's pregnant.

Telling them that they are going to be Grandma Karen and Grandpa Russell sooner than they thought.

But worst of all, telling them that she doesn't know who the father is.

"Ma'am," a voice interrupts her thoughts. "We've landed."

Shaking herself from her daydream, Casey realizes that people are trickling off the plane, pausing only to grab bags out of the overhead binds, and that she is still sitting down, trapping the poor man next to her in his seat as well.

"Sorry," Casey says, grabbing her purse out from under the seat in front of her and jumping up to get into the line. She grabs her small suitcase out of the overhead bind and filters off the plane. A glance up at the signs above her head, direct her to the baggage claim and as she gets closer to the glass panels dividing the secured zone and the unsecured zone, Casey easily spots her parents.

Her mom is clutching the sleeve of her dad's jacket and waving like a madwoman. The revolving doors force her out of the terminal and into the warm embrace of her mother's arms.

There, as a feeling of security washes over her, she lets all the tears she's been holding in out onto her mother's black, leather jacket.


	5. Chapter 5

There are few things more embarrassing than having a complete emotional break down in the middle of O'Hare International Airport. Because, really, once you get to the point where you're gasping for air and the paramedics have to be called, having an article written by one of your pledges defaming your sorority really isn't all that bad.

As fellow travelers and their respective welcoming committees look on, Casey finds herself being strapped down onto a gurney by two paramedics in blue uniforms. Hoisting her, gurney and all, into the back of the ambulance, one takes the task of placing a clear oxygen mask around her nose and mouth, while the other explains to her parents what's going on.

Hospital. Panic attack. Follow. One. Along.

Casey can only make out a few words as her chest tightens again and she tries to inhale as much oxygen as possible.

"Hey, now. It's okay," one of the paramedics says as he leans over her. "You're having a panic attack but you're going to be okay. Your mom is going to ride along with us."

Casey's eyes search for her mom's familiar features but she can't see her.

"Casey, honey," her mother says as she appears by her face and grabs her hand. "It's going to be alright. Just take deep breathes for us."

With all her might, Casey tries to steady her frantic breathing but her chest tightens more and her lungs scream for more oxygen. Her eyes open wider and her right hand flies to her face to pull the mask off.

"No, Casey. You have to leave that on," Karen Cartwright tells her panicked daughter and she looks to the paramedic for help.

"Casey, you need to leave this on. It's only thing that's going to help your breathing," the paramedic says as he pushes the mask back towards her face.

"Bab…" Casey tries to tell him and her eyes shift frantically from the paramedic to her mother. "Bab."

"What's she saying?" Karen asks the paramedic.

"I…I don't know," he says to Karen before turning his attention back to Casey. "Casey, take a deep breath and try again."

"Bab," Casey starts again. "Bab."

"Bab…what? Bab what, Casey?" Karen prompts as Casey gulps for another breath.

"E," Casey stresses through ragged breathing. Karen looks from Casey to the paramedic quizzically.

"Casey, are you pregnant?" The paramedic asks and Casey violently nods her head yes. Karen's hand flies to her mouth and the paramedic bangs on the clear divider between them and the driver.

"Joe, we got a pregnant one back here."

* * *

An hour and a half later, Casey and her parents are riding to her childhood home together. The doctor had quickly administered a dosage of diazepam, given her a prescription for neonatal vitamins, and an order to get some rest.

But there's no rest for the weary.

Especially when they show up on their parents' doorstep pregnant and without a husband in sight.

"Well, now we know why she was so eager to come home," Russell says as he turns the car down the ever so familiar street that Casey grew up on.

"Russ, you promised you would not mention this till the morning," Karen reminds him.

"Just making an observation."

"I'm sorry," Casey calls from the back seat, her vision blurred by her unshed tears.

"No," Karen says as she turns around. "We are _not_ going to talk about this tonight. Tomorrow, we will. But not tonight."

The car comes to a stop in the garage of their house and Karen accompanies her daughter into the house through the kitchen leaving Russell to get the bags.

* * *

There's something strange about sleeping in your childhood bed while pregnant. Casey's about to be a mom but looking at this room you'd never even know it. The pale pink walls are covered by an old N*SYNC poster, a Backstreet Boys poster, and the movie poster from Mean Girls. A bulletin board is covered with pictures of her and old friends from high school she no longer talks to. The only clothes in her closet are ones she wouldn't be caught dead wearing back at Cyprus-Rhodes or ones that she could no longer fit into, such as her baptism gown and the junior bridesmaid dress from her Aunt Sarah's wedding when Casey was ten.

"Casey," Karen's voice floats through the closed door. "Honey, are you awake?"

Casey slides out of bed and opens the door to her room. Her mother is clad in an old, faded teal nightgown and Casey mentally reminders herself to buy her a new one for mother's day.

"Hi, Mom," Casey mumbles as she walks back to her bed and sits down. Karen shuts the door behind herself and makes her way over to her daughter.

"Oh, Casey," Karen says as she sits down next to her.

"I'm sorry, Mom," Casey whispers.

"Oh, Casey," Karen repeats again. "We aren't mad. Well, your father might be but he'll get over that as soon as he gets to kick somebody's behind to China."

Casey can't help but let out a laugh.

"Well, at least you're smiling again," Karen says with a smile. "Casey, I wanted to ask you this before your father does and we have a repeat of this afternoon. Evan's the father right?"

Casey opens her mouth to speak but no words come out and Karen's motherly instinct kicks in.

"It's somebody else's?" But Casey stares off into the distance, too afraid to tell her mother the truth.

"Case, what ever happened to us? You used to tell me everything. I mean, while all the other mothers complained that their daughters' wouldn't let them in, you and I had such a great relationship. And then you went off to college. And I don't know what happened."

"I don't know," Casey mumbles as she drops her gaze to her fingers in her lap.

"What?" Karen asks her trying to make eye contact.

"I don't know," Casey repeats again. "Every time I called you were off supporting Rusty at some science thing and Daddy always said the wrong thing. I tried to tell you that Cappie and I had broken up but you said that you have to go and you'd call me right back. And then you didn't. Eventually, I stopped calling."

"Casey, I didn't mean to do that."

"I know but I was angry and I can…"

"You can hold a grudge like no other," Karen says as Casey nods her head in agreement. "Honey, I'm sorry."

"I'm ninety-five percent sure it's Evan's," Casey tells her mother trying to change the subject.

"And the other five percent?" Karen prompts.

"Cappie," Casey whispers as she watches her mother's mouth form an 'O'. "I didn't mean for anything to happen but we were working on a paper and it was fate and I couldn't help myself."

Casey's cheeks are now flushed with embarrassment.

"And then we were lying there and he confesses that he bribed the TA with two six packs of beer to put us together. And I was so embarrassed. So ashamed that I had let myself fall for his _bullshit_ about fate," Casey pauses to place a stray hair behind her left ear before continuing.

"I felt like such a _fool_."


	6. Chapter 6

Eagerly would not be the word Casey would use to describe how much she was anticipating breakfast with her parents. If you could dreadfully anticipate, Casey would use those words to describe how she feels.

During her shower this morning, she had found herself running her hand across her flat belly. Baby Center had told her that her baby, the idea still seemed so foreign to her, is three inches long, the size of a medium shrimp, and weighs nearly an ounce. When she had logged into the website at three o'clock this morning, she found out that her baby is currently in the process of forming fingerprints.

Forming an identity.

The idea of it all _still_ scared her.

After pulling on a pair of jeans, Casey pulls her hair into a ponytail without the use of a comb and gives herself a once over in the mirror. Not entirely satisfied with her appearance, she shrugs and leaves her bedroom for the kitchen. The smell of bacon frying causes her to grab a hold of the railing with one hand and press her other to her belly. It's churning thankfully stops and Casey is able to slide into her seat at the table. Russell's nose is buried in the sports section of the paper and Casey grabs a single pancake, drops it on her plate, and smothers it with maple syrup.

"Good morning, Casey," Karen says as she places the plate of bacon in front of her husband and takes her seat across from him.

For next five minutes, the only sounds in the breakfast nook are those of crinkled paper and the smacking of jaws.

"Russell," Karen starts. "Why don't you tell Casey what you and I decided this morning?" Russell glances at his wife and then glances down at the sports section in his hand.

"Karen, I'm reading about the Cubs."

"Russell," Karen says with the same tone she used to use with Casey and Rusty when they disobeyed. Russell folds the paper in half and tucks it beside his.

"Case, you're mother and I have an offer. A very good one, if I do say so myself," Russell says always the lawyer. "You will…"

"You can," Karen corrects.

"You _can_ come home this summer and have the baby here. In September, when school starts again, you will…"

"Can go to Cyprus-Rhodes again," Karen fills in.

"You _can_ go back to CRU and get your degree."

"And what about the baby?" Casey asks. She had been leaning towards adoption but certainly did not want the decision made _for_ her.

"We see two options, Casers," Russell says reverting back to his old nickname for his daughter. "You can give the baby up for adoption."

"Or, and your father and I want you to think about the first one before you jump all over this one, _we_ will take care of the baby until you graduate, get a job, and get on your feet," Karen tells her as she grabs her daughter's hand.

"Either way, Casers. Your mother and I love you, okay? Just because you made a mistake, a very, very big…"

"Russell," Karen snaps cutting him off.

"Just because you made a mistake," Russell begins again, "doesn't mean we don't love you or want what's best for you."

Casey can't help but let the tears flow.

* * *

"_If it wasn't stupid, it wouldn't be boys fighting."_

Casey's words from two days ago again invade his thoughts for the hundredth time that morning as Rusty and the rest of his pledge class clean the giant, sticky mess. They had arrived to find the downstairs of the Kappa Tau Gamma house, in its entirety, coated in maple syrup.

What had started because of Evan's tattle telling to the Dean Bowmen about the Prohibition party and escalated to Rusty being taped to a wall and the Omega Chis awakening to cow kisses had now turned into an all out war.

Over his sister.

And the paternity of her baby.

The reasoning may be lost on Beaver or Ferret or any one of the Kappa Tau boys but it _certainly_ wasn't lost on him. And he couldn't help but notice Cappie's disappearance amongst the book.

"Spitter!" Wade yells with a jab of the plastic, gray medieval sword. "Keep clean'!"

* * *

"Come to call it quits," Evan says as he slides into the black patio chair across from him.

"Never in a million years," Cappie says before taking a swig of his Cappie-cino. Evan looks at him expectantly and Cappie gingerly places the empty coffee cup on the table.

"Listen, Evan. I don't like you."

"Well, there's some breaking news," Evan says with a roll of his eyes.

"Funny," Cappie tells him. "If this _retaliation_ thing you've got going on is about Casey and the fact that I may be the father of her baby, you might want to stop."

"Now why would I want to do that," Evan spits out at him.

"You don't like the fact that I stole your girlfriend. I get that. Why do you think I beat the crap out of you at the ball freshman year?"

Evan snorts. "You beat the crap out of _me_?"

Cappie ignores his snide comment and keeps talking.

"But here's the thing, Evvie," Cappie tells him while Evan glares at his audacity to call him 'Evvie.' "Whether you like it or not, if that baby is mine, I am going to be in her and its life."

"And if it's not, you'll leave Casey alone?" Evan asks him. Cappie stands up and throws the empty cup away over Evan's head. Planting his hands on the table, he leans forward and whispers.

"Now what would be the fun in that?"

Satisfied he got the final word, Cappie walks away and heads back down the familiar path to the Kappa Tau house.

Besides, when you have the brother of the girl you're wooing in your house and her best friend on your side, you tend to get information other would _not_ be privy to.

Like what time her plane lands.

With a glance at the clock tower, Cappie fishes the keys to Ashleigh's car out of his pocket and heads towards the parking garage. Casey's plane lands in twenty-four minutes and Cappie knows for a fact she was expect at a blue Toyota Yaris to pull up at the passenger pick-up zone to take her back to campus.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** The karaoke part you recognize is from "Freshman Daze" and isn't mine.

* * *

Casey is tired. She can barely keep her eyes open as she searches for the familiar blue car. Spotting the car parked under the last grey passenger pick up sign, she pulls her suitcase to the car, double checks the license plate before opening up the hatch, and throws her suitcase inside. Walking around, she opens up the passenger door and slides in. Reaching behind her, she turns to grab the seatbelt and turns back to face the driver to hook it in.

"You're not Ashleigh," Casey draws out.

"No," the man replies.

"Then what are you doing in Ashleigh's car, Cappie?"

"I offered to pick you up," Cappie says with a shrug. "And since I don't have a car, Ashleigh offered to let me use hers."

"Yeah, right. What'd you promise her in return?"

"Nothin', Case. I only wanted to pick you up so we could talk," he tells her before he reaches for the gear shift. "Now buckle up so we can get out of here." With the click of her seatbelt, he pulls out of the parking lane and speeds towards the exit of the airport.

* * *

"So what did your parents say?" Cappie asks trying to start a conversation. For the past five minutes they had sat in total silence and Cappie knows he needs to use the precious time he has.

"About what?" Casey asks.

"About the baby," Cappie replies.

"Uh, they want me to finish school and I'll have the baby back in Chicago before school starts. If I decide to keep it, they'll take care of it until I graduate and get a job. If I don't, then they'll help me put this whole thing behind me."

"You don't know if you're going to keep it, yet?" Cappie asks, failing miserably at playing it cool.

"No," she snaps. "This isn't like deciding to wear the pink dress to the dance or the blue one."

"I know that," he says. "I just thought that you already had a plan. You always had plans when we were going out."

Instead of responding, she chooses to stare out the window at the world as it zooms by.

"I read online this morning that the baby weighs no more than an ounce. It's like the size of a medium shrimp."

"Really?" She asks him, pretending that she hadn't read the same thing because right now she's touched by his…

_Concern? Knowledge? Interest?_

"Yeah. And it has fingerprints. God, Case. I just can't get over that. Our baby has fingerprints."

"Please don't call it that," Casey says as she pinches her nose between her thumb and index finger.

"Call it what?" Cappie says as he looks over his shoulder and guides the car into the other lane.

"Ours. You don't know that," she spits out and turns her attention back to the rapidly changing landscape.

"Case," Cappie starts.

"Please, just don't. I'm tired. I want to go home."

"Alright," Cappie says with a sigh as he takes the exit ramp leading to Cyprus-Rhodes University.

* * *

By the time Casey wakes up the next morning she has already missed a class and a half. Casey rarely misses class. It's just something she doesn't do. It's not normal.

But there's _nothing_ normal about this.

Rolling out of bed, she grabs her towel and heads to the shower, ignoring the rest of the girls who are nursing hangovers as she slips into the community bathroom.

Letting the water run over her body, she finally lets her salty tears join the hot water. All the stress that she has been trying to bury inside, the stress that had tried to surface during her panic attack, makes her body shake as more tears, tears she didn't know she had, find their way to the surface.

_When had everything become so screwed up?_

* * *

"Are you going to get one of those paternity tests?" Wade asks as he throws a ball up into the air and catches it as it falls back down towards him.

"You could be on Maury," Beaver tells him as he rolls the chair across the floor with his heels.

"I'm not going to be on Maury. And if the test is necessary, then yes. I guess so," Cappie says.

"Cap, you're throwing yourself into this and you don't know all the facts," Heath tells him. "You're gonna get hurt…again. She's not worth it, man."

Cappie rises from his chair and leaves the room, anger written all over his face.

"Cap, don't be like that," Wade calls after him but Cappie slams the door behind him.

"Cappie, we need to talk," Rebecca calls after him as he brushes past her.

* * *

"Rusty!" Casey yells clutching the towel to her naked body tighter. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you," Rusty tells her as he rises from the bed.

"Can't it wait?" Casey says with a gesture to her current attire. "I'm a bit indisposed here."

"Oh, sure," he says covering his eyes with his hands at the awkward realization his sister is semi-naked in front of him. "But then we need to talk."

"Okay," she tells him as he walks out the door and she slams it behind him.

* * *

"She's pregnant," Rebecca says as she leans up against one of the large, while columns supporting the Kappa Tau Gamma house.

"Yeah," Cappie says quietly.

"And you're the father," Rebecca says as more or a statement than a question.

"I don't know that for sure. But I think so," his voice trails off. "I _hope_ so."

"I just don't see what you see in her."

"It's complicated, Becca."

"No. Because the way I see it, the way I've _heard_ it, she broke up with you for ZBZ because they told her to. What's hard about that?"

"It wasn't just that," Cappie says, his voice far and distant as memories come back to him.

"_Do you," Cappie pauses with the tempo to kick out his arm and leg after pointing after her, "wanna be a cavegirl? Do you wanna be?"_

_The entire crowd roars as the last beat of music cuts off._

_Casey stands up, lifting her purse out of her lap and makes her way towards him. Leaning down towards her, she begins to speak._

"_It's, uh, getting late. Do you mind if we call it a night?"_

"_Oh, my adoring public needs me. Just one more," he begs with his index finer upright for one. "One more."_

_She rolls her eyes and relents, "Fine."_

"_Thank you," he tells her grabbing the microphone._

"_Cappie! Cappie!" The crowd chants as he watches her make her way to the bar. For a couple of minutes he flips through the song list until he can decided on exactly which one._

"_This next song goes out to the most beautiful girl in the world. No, no. Not you, Beav. Miss. Casey Cartwright," he says as his eyes scan the crowd slowly. Yet, when the bell over the door chimes, he sees her leaving with another guy, Evan Chambers._

"I was a really bad boyfriend," Cappie tells Rebecca.

Rebecca snorts in response.

"I didn't cheat or anything like that but I was still a really shitty boyfriend. I ignored her. I was selfish. I took her for granted," he says turning his head so he's not looking at her.

"I would have left me."


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: **I shamelessly borrowed some scenes from "Freshman Daze."

* * *

"Fellow sisters, welcome to the first meeting of the post Lizzi era. Congratulations! We're on our own now. And you're probably wondering what that means for you and the house."

"That we can finally wear skirts without Lizzi reminding us how hard women fought for suffrage," Ashleigh says as she stands up and the entire room laughs.

"Yes. But some of the changes Lizzi made were actually improvements," Casey says with a quick look towards Frannie. "Um, for example, mandatory pledge study hours."

"But," Rebecca says, "we're not actually going to do the fifty extra philanthropy hours, are we?"

"Seventy-five," Casey corrects. "And yes. And pre-meeting roll call. And a little more attention to ritual. And…"

"And are you going to ever stop and-ing?" Rebecca asks interrupting.

"And there's one more change. Oh, right. We're finally going to have some real Zeta Beta fun!" The girls laugh and immediately start snapping.

"Girls! Girls! I am very disappointed. We don't snap here. We clap."

"Isn't Casey doing a great job?" Frannie asks leaning across the aisle.

"Beats our last president," Rebecca responds.

"So tomorrow night is the all Greek ball. The premier Greek event. And, as you know, this is the first one in two years. I hope you've been skipping desserts where you need to. This will be the place to show off."

A cough echos from the audience.

"Um, Frannie, do you have a question?"

"What? No. I don't have anything to…"

"I think," Ashleigh says cutting Frannie off, "Tania just cleared her throat."

"Oh," Casey says. "Great."

"So why didn't we have one last year?" Rebecca asks.

"Well, there was like this staph food thing at the ball two years ago," Casey responds. "Moving forward. This is a big deal. Every house, even alumni, lobbied hard for a second chance. I expect nothing less than our best behavior. This could be another step towards getting the dean's restrictions lifted."

The girls immediately begin to clap.

"Go Casey," Frannie says and Casey's smile falls.

* * *

Later that afternoon as she sits in the butterfly position with the button to her jeans undone, Casey feels pretty vulnerable. Especially since her ex-boyfriend is currently trying to talk to her.

"I was an ass, Casey," Evan says as he reaches across the bed and grabs Casey's hands. Yanking it out of his grasp, she places it in her lap to the sound of a snort.

"Understatement of the year," Ashleigh says from where she sits in front of her computer. Both Casey and Evan send her death glares and Ashleigh hits the log off button with a single click. "I know. I know. Get out, Ashleigh."

After pausing to let Ashleigh leave the room, Evan begins his well-rehearsed speech again.

"I was an ass, Casey. I was just _so_ mad. I thought we were planning forever together. I gave you my letters and then Frannie said you were just using me."

"Frannie's a liar," Casey interjects as Evan slides off the bed and paces the room.

"But I _asked_ you!" He yells as he stops his pacing.

"I asked you _point blank_ if any thing had happened between you and you lied to me, Casey," Evan says as Casey drops her head in shame. "And now I find out you're pregnant. Which is scary and inconvenient."

Evan plops down on the bed next to her during his pause.

"But it's also really exciting. Because you're going to be a mom and me, I'm going to be someone's dad. And then Rusty tells me that Cappie, _Cappie_, Case, has a chance of being _my_ girlfriend's baby's daddy."

"I didn't mean to, Evan. I just happened," Casey says as she pulls her knees to her chest. Wrapping her arms around them, she rests her chin on her knee caps.

"Don't insult me like that, Casey. Frannie was right. You do_ still_ love him," Evan says before heading towards the door.

"I still have feelings for Cappie. Just like I have feelings for you," Casey says causing Evan to sigh and run his fingers through his hair as he pauses at the door.

"When's your next appointment?"

"My next what?" Casey asks unsure if she heard him correctly.

"Your next appointment. When is it?"

"Next Friday at two thirty."

"Where?"

"Cyprus Women's Health Center."

"Alright. Two thirty. Friday. I'll be there," he says and then lets the door slam behind him.

* * *

"Did you talk to her?" Wade asks the younger guy in the upstairs hallway of the KT house.

"Yeah," Rusty responds.

"What'd she say?"

"Uh, fudge off with a 'CK' instead of a 'DGE'. And that is Cappie wants to stay away from her, he's more than welcome to."

"Not the response we were looking for," Wade replies.

"Nope," Heath chimes in.

* * *

Sometimes the vibrating sensation from his cell phone caught him off guard. Like the time he was lying on it during sex. Or the time it had gone off when he and the guys were playing Twister through a drunken haze.

An interesting conversation in the end.

But at one fifty two this morning when it had gone off inside of his pillow case against his eye socket, he had been a bit freaked out.

What had freaked him out even more was the fact that when his eyes adjusted to the brightness of the screen, the words 'One New Message From Casey' had stared back at him.

And curiosity always killed the cat.

So he flipped it open and forced his eyes to absorbed the black letters on the glowing white screen.

230 pm. Women's Heath Center. Fri. Be There.

And, really, he was quite confused. But it was a message from Casey and he sure as hell is going to be there.

He's already fucked up once by not being there.

* * *

"_Where's Cappie?" Casey asks as Evan opens the door to his and Cappie's dorm room. She pushes past him expecting to find Cappie laying in his bed but only finds an empty room._

"_Oh," Evan starts. "Uh."_

"_Did he think I'd sit waiting at the ZBZ house for him forever? I know you know where he is. Don't cover for him," she says turning around to face him._

"_He went to go get ready at the KT house," Evan says as he watches sadness creep across Casey's face._

"_What? Pre-party?" She asks with a sigh and she plops down on the bed trying not to cry. "I am so sick of this. I'm competition for my boyfriend's attention with a house full of fifty guys."_

"_I could go get him for you. Do you want me to go out? I'll go get him for you," Evan says and Casey shakes her head no._

"_Aren't you going to the dance?"_

"_No date."_

"_Why not?"_

"_I just…you know, I didn't want to go with just anybody."_

_Casey's eyes shift uncomfortable at his statement._

"_We could go. As friends. 'Cause I've got a suit. So you wouldn't have to waste your beautiful dress."_

"_I'll wait in the hall. While you change."_

"_Okay. Alright." Following her to the door, he begins to shut it behind her. "Okay."_

* * *

Casey hadn't planned on going to the ball. Because, _really_, who wants a pregnant woman there?

But Ashleigh had begged her to come with her. Something about there not being any more men from Hotmanistan and not wanting to sit by herself.

So now here she was running down the steps of the ZBZ house looking for Ashleigh's lip gloss.

"I have to get myself ready for the ball, Ash. Why am I looking for _your_ lip gloss?"

"Because you borrowed it last," Ashleigh yells back as Casey stumbles into Frannie's make shift laundry room.

"Last load, Case. And then I'm out of here," Frannie says with a flick of her wrist as the sheet snaps with its new found crispness.

* * *

Cappie opens the door to his bedroom to find Rusty standing outside of it, folder in hand.

"Ugh," Cappie says.

"Tell me what happened two years ago at the all Greek ball."

"Spitter! For the umpteenth time, it's a long story," Cappie says as he walks back towards his bed.

"Well, than. Let me make it shorter for you," Rusty says as he plops his folder on the table. "So I googled you. Not a lot of Cappies on the web. 'Specially ones who attend Camp Kitchiwawa."

"That's yesterday's news, Spitter."

"What I didn't know was the camps most prominent benefactors were Jonathan and Mim Chambers."

Cappie leans forward to take a look at Spitter's investigative work.

"How did you…"

"I'm really smart," Rusty says interrupting. "This is what I do. You've known Evan since you were kids, your parents ran the arts and crafts program, and you rushed Kappa Tau together."

"That's all on the internet?" Cappie asks taking a seat on his bed.

"If you know your way around a search engine. I used a lot of Boolean operators."

"Oh."

"Like and, were, not. Occasionally near."

"Wow." Rusty sighs and takes a seat.

"Will you please tell me what happened?"

"Alright fine. I missed the dance but when I got there, um…"

* * *

"_No way," Cappie says and Evan and Cappie let go of one another._

"_Cappie, it's not what you think," Evan tells him. _

"_I thought you had to study tonight. I didn't think you'd be at a party with my girlfriend."_

"_I went to your room," Casey says. "You weren't there."_

"_Listen," Evan says. "I just didn't want to let her down, man. Okay. That's all."_

"_Are you saying I did?" Cappie asks._

"_Are you saying you didn't?" Evan asks._

"_Okay, everybody. Let's just back up."_

"_I should have know you were going to leave kappa Tau for those white collared doushes. I didn't think you were going to make a move on Casey."_

"_Hey, I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for you," Evan fires back._

"_Oh, right. Blame me. But this is about you, Evan. You're the same preppy tagalong from camp. Who needed my help to get into Kappa Tau."_

"_Okay! Stop!" Casey yells._

"_And you know," Cappie starts, drowning out Casey's second cry of 'Stop!', "I didn't even have a make over to get in. I miss that silver spoon fed Chambers we all know and tolerated!"_

"_You know, better than being spawned by a couple of dead head losers!" Evan yells and Cappie's fist lands squarely against his jaw. _

_Another Greek's first knocks Evan back towards Cappie and he attempts to punch him in the face, only to be shoved back past Ashleigh and Frannie. Beaver knocks two Omega Chis into the stack of Champaign glasses as Casey grabs a lock of her hair. On the floor, Cappie and Evan roll around trying to pin the other and give them a knock out blow. Evan's fist comes in contact with Cappie's face right before he is hauled off of him by two other guys._

* * *

By the time the ball had ended, it was already three a.m. But Casey had headed back to ZBZ at midnight, hoping to be able to kick off her heels, take a shower, and crawl in bed without any interruptions from anyone.

But when she arrived, Cappie was sitting on the front porch. With a pink box that Casey would bet the entire ZBZ social fund carried a pie.

"Hey, Cap," Casey says. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, online the ladies on the message board…"

"You've been on a pregnancy message board? Talking to pregnant women?"

"I want to be informed," he says with a shrug. "So anyways, they were all talking about their cravings and so I thought you might want some pie."

"Actually, pie sounds really, really _disgusting_," she informs him.

"Oh."

"Sorry," she says as she sits down next to him.

"Is there something else I can get you?" he asks her as he places the pie box on the floor.

"I could really go for a cheeseburger," she offers.

"I could do that," Cappie says with a nod.

"One from Harvey's?"

"Sure," Cappie says as he stands up. "I'll be right back."

"Okay. Thanks, Cap," Casey says and watches Cappie walk down the sidewalk towards the street.

* * *

Twenty-seven minutes later, Cappie is standing on the front porch of the ZBZ house. He's rung the doorbell six times and Casey has yet to come down and answer the door. Everyone else is at the ball so Cappie does the only logical thing. Opening the door to the house, he reminds himself to tell Casey to make sure she locks it next time and heads up the stairs to Casey's room.

"Casey," he says knocking on her door. "Case."

Silence is the only thing that greets him and Cappie opens up the door to Casey's bedroom.

"Case, I brought your chees…" his voice tapers off when he spots Casey sprawled out on the bed. Her red dress is haphazardly thrown over the chair in her room and Casey is asleep on her bed dressed in a pair of pink capris with the words 'Zeta Beta Zeta' written drown the leg and old t-shirt, her hair pulled into a messy ponytail.

Walking over to her bed, he places the white, Styrofoam container on her nightstand and pulls the blanket at the end of her bed over her body.

Grabbing the container, he leans down and whispers softly, "Good night, Case."

He leaves the room, shutting the door behind him, and makes his way down the stairs of the house. With a glance down at the container in his hands, he turns and heads towards the kitchen only to stumble upon Rebecca.

"What are you doing here?" Rebecca asks, placing the spoon back the Haagan Daz container.

"Too good for Ben 'n Jerry's, huh?"

"No," she says with a roll of her eyes. "You haven't answer me, Cap. What _are_ you doing here? And what's that?"

"I, uh, I brought Casey a cheeseburger. Pregnancy cravings and all."

Rebecca crinkles her nose in disgust.

"Can you tell Case that this for her?" Cappie asks as he throws the container into the refrigerator.

"No need. She'll be the only who will eat it," she informs him. "Not all of us can afford those extra calories. Of course, the rest of us aren't eating for _two_."

"Rebecca, I'm sorry," Cappie says as he sits down on the barstool next to him. "I never meant for you to get wrapped in all of _this_."

"Well, you know," Rebecca says jumping off the stool. "The whole world revolves around Casey Cartwright."


	9. Chapter 9

When Casey woke up at six thirty-three on a Friday morning, the idea that inviting both boys to her appointment suddenly seemed like a bad idea.

A really, _really_ bad idea.

So she had done the only logical thing she could do. Call the clinic and ask for a new appointment.

Except the clinic doesn't open until nine a.m. and Casey's first class is at nine. So when Professor Moncrief dismissed class, Casey was the first to whip out her cell phone.

"Thank you for call Cyprus Women's Health Clinic. This is Rose. How my I help you?"

"Rose, my name is Casey Cartwright," Casey says as she walks out of the hall where her class is taught and into the morning sunshine. "I have an appointment today and…"

"Alright Ms. Cartwright, let me double check what time for you," Rose says and Casey can hear the sound of Rose's fast typing through the cell phone speaker.

"No, no. Rose, I need to…" Casey says trying to get Rose's attention as she ducks as a Frisbee comes straight for her head. This is why she usually avoids the quad at all costs.

"You're appointment is scheduled for today at two thirty," Rose's cheerful voice tells her. "We'll see you…"

"No," Casey snaps and interrupts the receptionist. "I think you misunderstood. I need to reschedule my appointment for an earlier time.

"Oh, dear. Any vaginal bleeding?"

"What?" Casey asks as she eyes the lower half of her body, her face becoming pasty white. "No, _no_."

"Well, in that case, I'm sorry but we only reschedule when it's an emergency. But Dr. Carter will see you at two-thirty and you can ask her any questions you have then, Ms. Cartwright. See you then," Rose says and with the click the line goes dead.

"Damn it," Casey mutters.

* * *

"Why can't you just call them and tell them they can't come?" Ashleigh asks as she flips through a magazine.

"Because! Have you not been listening to a word I've said. Evan _wants_ to come."

"So call Cappie and tell him your appointment's been canceled or whatever."

"I can't do that, Ash," Casey says as she flops down onto the bed. "I invited him."

"So, uninvite him."

"It's not that simple," Casey says as she sits up. "Besides, Cappie knows more about my pregnancy than I do."

"Okay, that's creepy," Ashleigh says as she drops her magazine onto her bed and sits up. "Case, either you just don't show up at your appointment or you suck it up and be a man. I mean, woman."

"Thanks, Ash," Casey says sarcastically. "You're a big help."

"Just doin' my job."

* * *

"Hey, Casey." A voice says from above her and Casey glances up before putting the magazine down on the coffee table to her left. "Mind if I sit?"

"Go right ahead, Cappie," she says and he plops down in the seat to her right. "You're here early."

"Yeah. I was afraid I might get the time wrong or something. You know this place is a long ways away from the KT house," he tells her and Casey suddenly realizes the sweat around his hair line, his shortness of breath, and the fact that his shirt is currently clinging to his skin. "When I googled it, it didn't seem so far away. But that's a _long_ walk. Next time, I need to bring some water. And a better pair of shoes," he says gesturing to the tan flip flops sticking out from beneath the hem of his jeans.

"I can give you a ride back, Cap," Casey says before turning her attention back to poster on the wall of the female anatomy with the baby in utero.

"So the baby's about the size of a lemon now," Cappie tells her and Casey turns back to look at him. "Think we'll be able to hear the heartbeat?"

"Casey Cartwright?" A shrill voice calls and Casey leaps to her feet.

"Um, here," she says as she maneuvers around the empty chairs, pregnant women, and small children.

"Follow me," the lady in scrubs tells them.

"Case, her shirt has pies on them," Cappie whispers in her ear causing her to jump.

"Um, yeah," Casey mumbles back.

"Alright, I need to get your weight, so if could remove your shoes and your husband could hold your purse."

"Oh, we're not toge…" Casey starts to correct but the nurse eyes her suspiciously. She kicks of her shoes, hands Cappie her purse, and steps onto the scale.

"No looking," she tells Cappie as she turns back around to face the digital read out.

Five pounds.

"Alright, Mrs. Cartwright. Follow me," the nurse says as Casey slips on her ballet flats and Cappie hands her back her purse. Leading them into the exam room, the nurse sets Casey's chart on the counter and opens the first cabinet. After handing Casey the blue gown, she picks the chart back up and heads towards the open door.

"Um, what am I supposed to do with this?" Casey asks her before she can leave.

"Opps, I forgot this is your first time here," the nurse replies as she opens Casey's chart. "Alright, Planned Parenthood did do an internal exam but I imagine Dr. Carter is going to want to do one of her own. So just take off your shirt and slip this on. You can leave your jeans on for the time being and Dr. Carter will be here in a minute."

With that the nurse shuts the door behind her and Casey shifts her eyes uncomfortably from the blue hospital gown to Cappie, who's currently claimed the doctor's rolling chair as his own.

"You heard the woman," Cappie tells her.

"I can't…in here…not in front of…"

"Me?" Cappie interrupts. "It's just me, Case. I've seen it all before. But if it'll make you feel better, I'll turn around."

"Fine," Casey says and Cappie makes good on his promise as Casey yanks off her pink shirt and slips on the hospital gown, leaving her jeans on. "Alright, you can turn around now."

Cappie spins the top of the chair around so he's facing her, stopping the movement with his feet. Casey slides onto the exam table and swings her feet as the awkwardness of the situation sets in.

"What are those for?" Cappie asks, pointing to the metal contraptions jutting out of the end of the table.

"Uh," Casey says as she eyes what he's pointing at. "You don't want to know."

With a quick knock at the door, a tall brunette sweeps into the room. Dressed in a white lab coat with a stethoscope around her neck, she looks every bit of a doctor. Except less like homely Meredith Grey and more Addison Montgomery Shepherd, Casey thinks to herself.

"Hi, Casey," the woman says with an outstretched hand. "I'm Dr. Carter. But you can call me Julie."

"Hi Dr…Julie," Casey says as she shakes the woman's hand.

"And you must be Mr. Cartwright," Julie says as she crosses the room to shake Cappie's hand.

"Uh, no," Casey immediately says.

"Cappie's the name," Cappie says as he shakes Julie's hand.

"Cappie? What an…unusual name? Is it short for something?"

"Nope. Just Cappie."

"Alright. Well, Cappie, you're in my chair."

"Uh, sorry," Cappie says as he leaps off of it.

"So I'm glad to see your boyfriend here," Julie says as she wheels closer to Casey.

"Uh," Casey starts but the door's opening cuts her off.

"Sorry, I'm late Casey," Evan says as he enters the room.

"Evvie!" Cappie says with fake enthusiasm.

"What's he doing here?" Evan demands of Casey.

"Uh…"

"Supporting Casey. _On time_."

"Well, that's a first," Evan replies taking a step towards Cappie, which in this small room, the two come toe to toe in two steps.

"Um, excuse me," Julie says as she steps between the boys. "Who are you?" She asks Evan.

"I'm Casey's boyfriend," Evan replies.

"Ex-boyfriend," Cappie and Casey both correct.

"Okay," Julie says. "Which of you is the father?"

"I am," Cappie and Evan reply simultaneously. Julie looks from Cappie to Evan and then looks at Casey. Casey's face is covered in tear stains and her eyes are red and puffy.

"Casey," Julie starts and Casey raises her head to look at Julie as anger dances across her face. "Do you want these two to sta…"

"Sit down!" Casey yells at Evan and Cappie and they both looked at her shocked. "Sit down! _Now_!"

Both boys clamor to grab the only available seat in the room, Cappie getting to it first by a split second. Evan leans up against the cabinetry and both turn their attention back to Casey.

"You two are going to sit there. You are going to sit there and not talk to one another. You are _supposed_ to be here supporting _me_!"

"Case," Evan and Cappie both start but she stares them down before turning her attention back to Julie.

"Okay, we can start."

"Alright," Julie says. "Do you want a chair?" She asks Evan.

"He can stand," Casey replies and Julie turns her attention back to Casey.

"Alright, so how are you feeling, Casey?" Julie asks realizing the question kind of seems superfluous.

"I'm…good," Casey answers.

"Any morning sickness? Nausea? Heartburn?"

"No," Casey replies. "I guess I'm lucky. I've only gotten sick about twice."

"Well, welcome to your second trimester. You're almost fifteen weeks so I'm going to forgo the vaginal exam, since Planned Parenthood already did one and instead we'll do a sonogram."

"Really?" Casey asks, her voice cracking in surprise.

"Really," Julie tells her with a smile. "And, if you're lucky, we'll be able to see if the baby's a boy or girl."

"Oh, I don't want to know," Casey says.

"Why not?" Evan asks from behind Julie.

"Evan," Casey starts.

"If she doesn't want to know, she doesn't want to know. It's her baby," Cappie tells Evan.

"It's my baby too," Evan replies.

"Yeah, like your sperm could out perform mine," Cappie snorts.

"What did you say?" Evan asks looming over him.

"Stop it!" Casey yells at the boys.

"You heard me," Cappie says he stands up.

"No, I don't I did," Evan says curling his fist.

"There's no way your puny sperm could out perform mine," Cappie says and Evan's fist comes in contact with his face with an resounding crack. Cappie flies backwards against the wall taking the chair with him and stumbles forward to punch Evan in response.

"Stop it!" Casey says jumping in between them, her hands on both their chest trying to keep them apart. "Stop it!"

"Casey, move!" Evan barks at her.

"No," Casey tells him. "I invited you two because I thought you both wanted to be involved. I thought you wanted to support _me_. I didn't invite you here to have a repeat of the all Greek ball."

Cappie's fists uncurl and Evan drops his to his side.

"Julie," Casey starts as the boys' chests heave but Julie's already one step a head of her. Walking into the room, she's carrying another chair and shutting the door with her foot, she drops it by the other one.

"Sit!" Julie snaps at the boys. "You're upsetting my patient, so you two are going to sit here and get along. Because she's already had one panic attack. One too many. And now, I understand what caused it. So _sit down_!"

The boys drop into their seats and Julie opens the cabinets to pull out two ice packs that she snaps and hands one to each boy. They both place the ice pack on their wounds, Cappie on his jaw and Evan on his right eye.

"Alright, Casey," Julie says turning around. "Why don't you sit back up there? Hannah is going to come in to draw some blood and then I will be back to do the sonogram, okay?"

Casey nods her head as she climbs back up onto the table and Julie pats her leg before leaving the room.

"Casey," Cappie starts.

"Don't talk to me," Casey snaps and for the next four minutes, the awkward grouping means that any conversation they attempt would probably wind up in another fist fight. A knock at the door breaks the silence and a petite redhead slips into the room.

"Hello, Ms. Cartwright. My name's Hannah and I'm going to be drawing some blood, okay?" Hannah asks as she drops the caddy onto the exam table next to her. Casey outstretches her arms and Hannah grabs her left. With a quick swipe of the cleaning swab and a quick jab, she fills the empty vile with blood and slaps a Band-Aid over the wound. "Okay, Dr. Carter will be back in just a minute."

"Okay," Casey replies as the woman leaves the room and turns her attention to Cappie. "Cap, breath. It's all over, all done."

Cappie doesn't look too good. He's face is white and his hands are tightly wrapped around the chair.

"Baby," Evan mumbles.

"Asshole," Cappie mumbles back.

"Stop," Casey says as Julie walks back into the room wheeling a large machine in front of her.

"Alright, are you ready?" Julie asks her and Casey nods her head yes. "I need you to lift up your shirt."

Julie opens a cabinet and grabs a small, white hand towel.

"You're showing," Cappie says on an exhale of breath and Casey's gaze drops down to her stomach. A small bump is resting on the top of the waistband of her jeans and Casey's hand subconsciously drops down to it. No one else but she had seen it and despite of herself, Casey is thrilled that someone else has realized it's there.

"Um, yeah," Casey replies softly.

"I can't see it," Evan says as he leans over Cappie to get a better view. "Where?"

"Right there, numb nuts," Cappie says as he points to Casey's stomach. "See it?"

"No," Evan replies sourly as Casey tucks the towel in the waistband of her pants and lies back onto the exam table.

Julie squirts a tube of cold jelly on Casey's belly and grabs the wand. Placing it on her belly, Casey shivers.

"Sorry. It's cold. I know," Julie says before turning her attention back to the black and white screen. Casey follows her doctor's gaze but she can't see anything and bites her lower lip in response. Moving the wand around, Julie punches in a few numbers on the keyboard and the sound of the baby's heartbeat begins to fill the room.

Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.

"Is that the…" Casey trails off.

"Yep, that's the baby's heartbeat. It's very strong, Casey. 162 beats per minute."

Casey sighs and wipes away a stray tear.

"Here's your baby," Julie says as she turns the screen towards Casey. "Here's the heart. Can you see it moving?"

"Yeah," Casey replies as her hand runs up to touch the screen.

"And here's a leg. And an arm. And there," Julie pauses, "there's the head."

Casey sighs, her chin quivering with happiness and she turns her attention to Cappie and Evan.

"Do you want to see?"

The boys don't have to be asked twice and both rush over to crowd around the exam table by her head. Julie shows them what she had previously shown Casey.

"Look, Evan," Cappie says as he points to the baby's flexing hand. "My kid's flipping you off."

Before Evan can respond, Julie speaks up, "Do you all want print outs?"

"You can do that?" Evan asks.

"Sure. And, Casey, next time bring in a video tape and we can record your next sonogram," Julie says as she freezes the frame, places the wand back in its holder, and begins to wipe to goop off Casey's belly. "I'll go get those print outs while you get dressed and then we'll talk in my office, okay?"

"Sure," Casey replies as she sits up. "Thank you."

"Sure thing, Casey," Julie says as she wheels the machine out of the room.

"That was…" Evan starts.

"Amazing," Cappie finishes and Casey nods her head yes as she wipes around her stray tears.

"I need to get dressed, so…"

"We'll be out in the hall," Evan says and exits the room.

"Out, Cappie," Casey says with her eyebrows raised.

"Alright, aright. Not like I haven't already seen it," he says as he exits the room and shuts the door behind him. Realizing that leaving those two out in the hall alone isn't a good idea, Casey pulls off her grown, slides the towel out of her pants, and drops both of them into the bin besides the exam table in record speed. She picks her shirt up off the counter top, slides it on over her head, and grabs her purse.

"I'm ready," Casey says as she walks out the door. The boys follow her down to Julie's office and Casey takes a seat, the boys sitting down on either side of her.

"Well, here are the scans," Julie says handing them each a white envelope as she makes her way to her desk. "Everything looks good. The baby's right on target. But, Casey, I'm a little worried about your iron levels. Your weight is right where it needs to be but I'm still worried, so I want you to try to eat more meat, especially steak. If it doesn't improve the next time I see you, I'm going to write a prescription for iron pills, okay?"

"There's not going to be anything wrong with the baby, is there?" Casey asks.

"No, no. Don't worry. It's more about you than the baby. The baby will get all the iron it needs, even if means taking it all from you."

"Okay," Casey sighs.

"Other than that, you're the picture of health. And I'll see you back here in four weeks," Julie says as she stands to shake Casey's hand.

"Alright," Casey says standing herself. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome. And you two," Julie says eying Cappie and Evan, "no more fighting. Stress isn't good for the baby _or_ Casey."

"It's not my…Okay," the both mumble as the shuffle behind Casey out the door.

* * *

"Thanks for the ride, Casey," Cappie says as Casey pulls up in front of the ZBZ house. "And thanks for letting me come."

"You're welcome, Cappie," Casey says as she waits for Cappie to shut the door to her car. "I'll see you around."

"Bye, Case," Cappie says and Casey drives off.

* * *

"Where have you been?" Dino asks Evan as he takes a seat on the couch next to him. Calvin and James are sitting on the other two couches watching the hockey game on television.

"With Casey at her appointment," Evan says as he pulls the white envelope out of his pocket. "Wanna see pictures?"

"Uh," Dino replies. "I guess."

* * *

"Cappie!" Beaver yells as Cappie walks through the front door.

"How was the doctor's?" Wade asks as Cappie sits down on the couch next to him.

"Good. The baby's perfect," Cappie says as he opens up the white envelope and pulls out the photos. "Wanna see pictures?"

"Sure," Wade says as the rest of the guys in the room crowd around Cappie to get a good look.

* * *

"Hey, Ash," Casey says as she shuts the door to their bedroom and drops her purse on the floor next to her desk.

"So how was the doctor's? Did the boys behave?" Ashleigh says as Casey flops down onto Ashleigh's bed next to her.

"Ugh, no. But I don't want to talk about it."

"That bad, huh?"

"Yep," Casey says as she rolls off the bed and opens up her purse. Pulling out the envelope, she holds it up. "Wanna see pictures?"

"Duh," Ashleigh responds and Casey plops back down next to her and opens the envelope. Pulling out the five photos, Casey shows Ashleigh the outlines of arms, legs, and the baby's head.

"It looks like an alien," Ashleigh says with her nose crinkled.

"But it's my alien, Ash."


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: **This chapter is going encompass a lot from the episode "Move On Cartwrights." Because, after all, it's one of my favorite episodes. I'm borrowing some of the dialog but tweaking it a bit to conform to the whole idea that Casey's pregnant.

* * *

Casey's avoiding both of them. Cappie and Evan. Evan and Cappie. Either way, she doesn't want to talk to either of them. And it seems that both of them have gotten the message despite the fact that she hasn't talked to either of them. Instead, she's been going to class and running a sorority.

And then Wade called this morning saying Cappie was sick and since Rebecca and he are on the back burner, Cappie is back to being _her_ responsibility.

"Where's the patient?" Casey asks as Wade opens the door to the Kappa Tau house.

"Upstairs," Wade says pointing to the second floor.

"What is it? Flu? Bronchitis? Strep throat? Pink eye?" She asks him as she rattles off common ailments.

"I don't know. You know none of us go up there. Heath said it was something crusty around his eye," Wade says gesturing to his own eye. "But he really didn't get a good look."

"That's called pink eye, Wade," Casey informs him as she walks up the stairs.

"Thanks, Casey!" Wade calls after her. "You're a saint!"

* * *

"Cappie," Casey calls as she enters his room. His entire bed is covered in used tissues and the covers are pulled up to his chin. "Cappie."

"Casey?'" he calls. Rolling over, he sits up and eyes her through his one good eye. His other crusted over one he keeps firmly shut.

"That does not look good," Casey says as she crosses the room and sits down beside him. "Pink eye, again?"

"And a cold," he says with a sniffle. "What are you doing here?"

"Those big babies you call brothers called me."

"And here I thought they hated you."

"Yeah, well, you know the drill. Heat pack, please," she says with her hand out. Rummaging around his bed, he pulls the hot pack from the depths of the bed and hands it to her. "I'll be right back."

* * *

In the kitchen, Casey opens the only cabinet not already opened or has food spilling out of it.

"Glad to see my stuffs still here," Casey mumbles as she grabs the economy size bottle of NyQuill and a shot glass. Grabbing the heated bag out of the microwave on her way out of the kitchen, she hurries up the stairs and heads back into Cappie's room.

"Alright," Casey says as she drops the medicine and glass on the nightstand and hands him the heated bag.

"Thanks, Case," Cappie says as he settles it where he wants.

"No problem," Casey says and hands him a shot glass full of the green medicine. He chugs it down and hands her back the glass.

"Going to climb out the window this time?" he asks as he settles back against the pillows.

"You know about that?"

"Yep. Although I have to say, very devious, Miss. Cartwright. Very devious."

"How did you…"

"Easy," Cappie interrupts. "One time you were late coming back and weren't there when I woke up. But when I heard the rustling of the tree and the window shoved open, I figured out what you had done. I guess cough syrup's my…

"Achilles' heel," she fills in for him.

"Exactly," he replies. "But don't worry. I won't tell anyone. Would want to ruin the boys' application for your sainthood."

"Saint Casey. Has a nice ring to it."

"That it does," he tells her as his eyelids begin to droop. "But Casey?"

"Yeah, Cap," she says as she pulls the covers up to his chin.

"Please don't climb out the window. I don't want the baby or you to get hurt, 'kay?" He asks as he rolls over.

"Sure thing, Cappie."

* * *

When Casey arrived back the Zeta Beta house, three Lambda Sig boys were waiting on the front steps of ZBZ with a bouquet of pink roses each.

"You would think a house of fifty girls, one would be able to answer the door…" Casey trails off as she opens the door and points the guys in the direction of the dinning room table. Each one deposits their bouquet on the table and walks right back out of the house, ignoring her presence completely.

* * *

"What's going on?" Frannie asks with a small jump as she eyes the three bouquets of pink roses on the table.

"Carolyn, Lauren, and Amy have been invited to the Lambda Sig pink rose formal," Casey says with as much enthusiasm as she can muster.

"Fantastic!" Frannie says as she leans in for a whiff of the roses' scent.

"We are finally moving out of the social dog house," Ashleigh says. "Under the amazing leadership of Casey Cartwright."

Frannie bounces over to Casey and throws her arms around the blond.

"So, when do we call the Omega Chis?" Frannie asks and her question is followed by silence.

"To build on the momentum," she elaborates. "The Lambda Sigs are the second hottest house on campus. Now that they have officially taken us off Greek death row with these invitations this is the perfect time to push for a full pardon by setting up a mixer with the first hottest house, the Omega Chis."

Casey's face falls.

"Oh," Frannie is quick to recover, "if you thought that was a good idea."

"Actually, I think it's a terrible idea."

"But the Omega Chis are out rightful social counterparts," Amy informs her.

"Rightful social counterpart BJK," Casey corrects and Amy turns to Ashleigh for translation.

"Before Jen K," Ashleigh says.

"And the shunning Omega Chi gave us after the article was published, not to mention the BPH," Casey says and Amy again turns to Ashleigh for translation.

"Before Paris Hilton?" Ashleigh guesses.

"Before public humiliation. The back to school carnival. Am I the only one who remembers the kissing booth debacle? The way the Omega Chis publicly humiliated us?"

Ashleigh, Frannie, and Amy all look at one another.

"Should we reward them for treating us like that? No, ladies. ZBZs will find the way to the top on their own merits. And in the meantime, we can celebrate and strengthen the bonds of sisterhood from with in."

Casey gasps.

"How about a game night? We can order pizza. Bake cookies."

"Lizzi," Amy says through a cough as she leaves the room.

"Great. That sounds great," Frannie says with a smile. "Sounds great."

* * *

Sliding into the house quietly through the front door, Casey rushes up the steps and hurries to Cappie's room.

"Taking a break?" Wade asks as he walks out of his room, causing Casey to turn around.

"Uh, yeah," Casey replies as she continues to make her way to Cappie's room by walking backwards.

"You're a saint, Casey. I don't know how you can stand to stay in there. He's a colossal pain in the ass when he's sick."

"Uh, yeah," she says as she reaches behind her and opens the door.

"Casey," Cappie croaks.

"It's me," she says as she sinks down onto the bed next to him. "Ready for more cough medicine?"

"I wanna ice cream," Cappie whines. "I wanna bowl of ice cream."

"Alright, alright. I'll go get some," Casey replies and slips back out the room.

"Heath!" She calls as she spots the other guy slipping into his room, a white bowl with the last remnants of ice cream in his hand.

"Uh," he starts as he swallows the ice cream in his mouth. "Yeah?"

"Is there ice cream downstairs?"

"Sorry, this was the last bit," he tells her and Casey sighs.

"Just my luck," she says as she slips back into Cappie's room. "Sorry, Cap. No ice cream."

"But I need it," he whines.

Colossal pain in my ass, Casey thinks to herself.

"Alright, find something to cover your eye and I'll take you to go get ice cream."

Cappie doesn't have to be told twice and despite the fact that he's sick, he throws back the covers, slips a pair of jeans on over his boxers, and pulls on a pair of sneakers.

* * *

"Okay. So what's with all the secrecy," Ashleigh says as she drops down on the rock next to Frannie.

"We needed to talk somewhere away from the house," Frannie informs her. "I'm worried about Casey."

"Frannie, I know you've supposedly gone through this whole personality over haul thing but I'm kinda weirded out when you start talking about your concern for Casey."

"This isn't about me, Ash," Frannie says as she shakes her head. "Didn't you notice how everyone was looking at her when she nixed mixing with the Omega Chis. And I know you heard someone call her Lizzi."

"So? Cay-_sey_. Liz-_sey_. It's an understandable mistake."

"Casey is seriously being blinded to what's good for the house by this Evan shaped mental block."

Ashleigh throws her a look.

"Which I know I helped put there and that's why I'm doing everything I can to get everyone back to their rightful places."

"You know, if you feel so strongly about this, why don't you tell Casey about it?"

"Because she might be kinda weirded out. Don't let her blow this opportunity, Ash," Frannie says as she gathers her stuff and walks away.

* * *

"You have to try this," Cappie says as he and Casey take a seat at a table outside the ice cream parlor.

"Um, no, thanks. You've contaminated it," Casey says and takes another bite of her half eaten ice cream cone.

"You've got some ice cream," Cappie says pointing to her nose and Casey attempts to wipe it off.

"Did I get it?" She asks him.

"No," he says leaning in and wiping it away with his finger. "Casey…" he says as he leans forward and captures her lips in a kiss. Dropping her ice cream cone onto the ground, she raises her hands and placing them on Cappie's chest…

"Casey," a voice interrupts and Casey shoves Cappie away.

"Evan…" she trails off as Cappie sinks dejectedly into his seat.

"I should have known," he says shaking his head.

"It's not what you think, Evan," Casey says jumping to her feet.

"Of course it's not because I don't have to think, I can _see_. I put forth the effort and you repay me by coming out here and making out with him in public."

"Evan," she says placing her hand on his arm but he yanks it away.

"I should have known. You left him for me and it was only a matter of time before you jumped into the next bed," he spats out and Casey recoils at his insult. Turning away from her, he walks away in disgust.

"Evan," Casey calls after him but Evan keeps walking.

"Casey," Cappie starts as he stands up next to her.

"Don't."

* * *

"Not wanting to have a mixer with the Omega Chis couldn't possibly have anything to do with my feelings for Evan," Casey tells Ashleigh as the later shuts the door to their room.

"I don't have feelings for Evan," Casey explains as Ashleigh bangs her two fist together.

"It doesn't matter to me if he's arrogant. Or rude. Or dismissive…" Casey trails off. "I don't even notice."

"Yeah, I can see that. Hey! Did you know Amanda gets P.E. credits for messaging the varsity boys during swim meets? I mean, we should just go."

"The Omega Chis publicly humiliated at the back to school carnival," Casey tells her as she turns back around. "Right?"

"From where I was standing, Case, it looked more like Evan humiliated _you_," Ashleigh says as she drops her head. "But I could be so wrong."

"No. Ash, you're right. About Evan and me. But he is an Omega Chi and I'm a ZBZ."

"Yes, you are," Ashleigh assures as she takes a step closer to Casey. "And you're the best president ever."

"And there are fifty other girls in this sorority who didn't get dissed and want to resume relations with the Omega Chis."

"Fifty hot, desirable Omega Chis. Including Calvin, whose probably waiting for an opportunity to disagree with Evan Chambers."

"Well, that part would be gratifying."

"I'm social chair. I could extend the invitation."

"Thanks, Ash. But this isn't just about a party. It's about normalizing relations. I need to do it. I _can_ do it."

Both girls give one another a small laugh.

"Wanna go fondle some swimmers first?" Ashleigh asks as she throws her arm around Casey and Casey laughs as she leads her out of the room.

"You are such a good friend."

* * *

The next morning, after forcing herself to leave the two day old cheeseburger Cappie had left in the refrigerator for her, Casey makes her way up the steps of the Omega Chi house. With an exhale of breath, she knocks on the door.

"Casey," Evan says as he opens the door and leans against the door jam.

"Hey," Casey manages to say.

"Hey."

"I was looking for Dino."

"Dino?" he asks and _almost_ adds the snide comment of 'planning to bang him too' at the end.

"The Omega Chi president," she informs him.

"Yeah, I know who he is. Um, he's not here right now. What did you want to talk to him about?"

"Just some Greek business," she says. "If that's okay with you."

"Why wouldn't that be okay with me?"

"Because of what happened yesterday at the ice cream parlor," she replies with a smirk.

"It's just that Omega Chis and the Zeta Beta Zetas aren't exactly doing business anymore. But if you want me to tell Dino you stopped by, I'll tell him."

"You know what? Never mind. I don't have to talk to him after all."

* * *

Casey went back to the house trying to keep her pride intact and broke the bad news to the sisters, only listen to their complaints as she heads up the stairs to her bedroom.

"If she had just kept her legs shut or not whored herself out to Cappie, we wouldn't be in this mess," Gretchen Meyers says as she and a couple of the other girls walked past her door.

"Don't they realize I wish I had too?" Casey asks an old stuffed bear of hers that she had smuggled back from Chicago in her suitcase.

* * *

Casey can heard the excited chattering going on downstairs but she's trying to concentration on European history and really just isn't in the mood to find out what's going on. If any should ask, Casey plans to blame it on her pregnancy.

Shutting the door behind her, Ashleigh squeals.

"What? Did they announce another season of America's Next Top Model?" Casey asks, frustrated with the interruption.

"Butter. Kyle, the Omega Chi social chair, just came by to invite the ZBZs to mix with them this weekend!" Ashleigh says as she drops down onto Casey's bed.

"Wow! That's so not what they said before," Casey says trying to cover up her previous statement on their stance as she sits up. "But great."

"We're gonna have to scramble a little to get registration forms and keg application to the dean's office in time. But were there's a will, there's a way to get through the new party restrictions, right?"

"Right," Casey assures her. "Wow. We're back on with the Omega Chis. I wonder how all of this happened."

"Case, did you ever actually talk to Dino about a mixer?"

"Why would you even ask me that?"

"Because I talked to Calvin and from what he was hearing at the house, didn't sound like you had."

"Let's go see that swim team again. That was really fun, right?"

Ashleigh looks at her expectantly and Casey sighs.

"I really meant to, Ash. I wanted to. I went over there and Evan answered the door and he was cold and judgy. I knew what I should say but I couldn't talk, not after what he said to me at the ice cream parlor. I couldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing I wanted _anything_ from him."

"It's one night. One night that will make two houses very happy. And all you have to do is sign our half of the registration forms and get through a few hours with Evan, until your next doctor's office smack down. And I have a plan for the party."

* * *

"There," Ashleigh says as she hands Casey the party patrol badge. "Now you only have to come in contact with Evan once, when you check his I.D and his hand. Or his face."

"Ash," Casey scolds.

"Like you wouldn't love to."

"Aw, it's good to see the Greek world back on its axis," Rebecca says as she comes to a stop in front of Casey's party patrol table.

"Uh," Casey says.

"How's the bun, Casey?"

"Excuse me?" Casey sputters.

"You know, the bun in your oven," Rebecca replies as she sticks out her stand. Grabbing the 'Under 21' stamp, Casey stamps Rebecca's outstretched hand.

"Enjoy your soda," Casey tells her.

"You too," Rebecca fires back and walks off.

"This might not be so bad after all," Casey tells Ashleigh.

"Oh," Ashleigh says. "Hey, there's Calvin. Are you going to be okay here?" Ashleigh asks as she walks around Casey.

"Oh, yeah. Sure. I'm the one with the bun in the oven, after all. Have fun." Turing back around, Casey watches Evan saunter up to the party patrol table.

"Hey, Evan. Let me just, uh, stamp you hand and you can go get started."

"You're the ZBZ party patrol?" He asks her.

"Yep," she says gesturing to her badge. "Not much more for a pregnant woman to do at a mixer. Serving alcohol," she trails off. "Your guy hasn't shown up yet."

"Uh," Evan says as he takes a stand behind the Omega Chi party patrol table. "Actually he has." Fishing the badge from his pocket, he clips it on. "It's me."

* * *

"Oh my god," Frannie says as she makes her way to the front of the line. "Is this a reunion of more than just our houses?"

Casey and Evan both shot her dead pan looks.

"Or just an incredibly awkward coincidence?"

"You're holding up the line, Frannie," Evan tells her and Casey immediately slaps on an 'Over 21' stamp.

Two more girls cycle through the check point and Casey slams another 'Under 21' stamp onto Sarah's hand.

"If you stamp it that hard," Evan says, "it makes the ink wet. If the ink's wet, it makes it easier for them to transfer stamps."

"Well, if you guys had invested in wrist bands instead of stamps we wouldn't have to worry about it," Casey says before stamping another sister's hand. "Have fun."

"Thanks."

"You didn't check her I.D," Evan says as he points at Jenny.

"She's over twenty-one. I've known her for two years."

"It doesn't matter. You still have to check her I.D."

"You're right. I guess knowing someone for two years doesn't mean that much in the end," Casey says before stamping Janet's hand.

"I'm over twenty-one, Casey," Janet tells her.

"Beers counted as carbs and it makes you bloated," Casey informs her. "I'm doing you a favor."

"And I guess you always got to make me the bad guy," Evan interjects as he slams the rubber stamp down, "so you can play the victim again."

"Oh, man up Conden," Evan says as Conden shakes out his hand.

"Whatever role I play, I have to be a mime since you never stop accusing long enough to let me get a word it."

"Oh, you have some…some _reasonable_ explanation for sleeping with Cappie after I lavaliered you."

"How about that I'm _human_? That I make mistakes? Like you did. When you rush humped Rebecca."

"Oh, are you ever going to stop playing that card? I was never in love with Rebecca."

"You know, move!" Casey tells those in line waiting to be stamped. "Move!"

Crossing over to his side of the line, she stands right in his face.

"So?"

"Hey!" Ashleigh says as she jumps over to where Evan and Casey are standing. "Can I get restamped?"

"Listen, it wasn't the same level of betrayal. You _obviously_ still have feelings for Cappie, as you so evidently showed the _entire_ world today."

"And I _still_ have feelings for Cappie, Evan. Just like I _still_ have feelings for you," Casey tells him. "Maybe I always will but unlike superhuman Evan Chambers, I don't seem to have control over how I feel about people. Most of the time, however, I do have control over what I do with those feelings. And what I did was a mistake. But I chose you. I thought that was the most important thing but, clearly, in your world it's now. And then you _dumped_ me without trying to talk. With giving me the second chance I gave you."

Casey rips off her badge and throws it down on the table before storming out of the room. Ashleigh soon follows suit.

* * *

When Casey woke at nine fifteen the next morning, she knew what she had to do. So she slide out of bed, took a shower, blow dried her hair, and slipped on her favorite pink dress, one of the few that don't show her small bump.

* * *

"Evan," Calvin says as he stops sweeping to great his big brother.

"I need my shoes. Where are my shoes?"

"Uh, right there." Calvin says pointing to the black shoes by the coffee table and Evan scrambles to pick them up. "You look like crap. Where are you going?"

"Uh, I'm going to go tell Casey I'm an idiot and I want her back," he says as he beats the soles of his shoes together.

"Good luck with that."

Opening the door, Evan sighs when he says Casey standing on the front stoop.

"Casey, you look amazing."

"I feel pretty amazing," she tells him as he gives her an oversized smile and drops his gaze to the floor.

"I'm done, Evan."

"Done with what?" He asks as he adjusts his collar.

"I'm finished being angry with you. I woke up this morning and I finally realized no matter what I say or do, I can't change the past. Or how you feel about it. And I'm done trying."

Evan's smile falters.

"Finally ready to move on."

"Move on?" Evan says with a shake of his head. "From us?"

"Yeah," Casey replies. "I want you to be involved in…this," she says gesturing to her belly with her eyes. "_If_ you want. However much or however little. But I'm done."

"And what if I was less of a jealous idiot?" Evan asks.

"Um, then I think we could be friends. If you think you can do that."

"Friends?"

"Think about it," she says before giving him a peek on the cheek. "See you around campus,

Evan Chambers," she says before turning around and walk back to where she came from.

"No," he replies and she stops to look back at him. "I'll see you at your next appointment."

"Good."

* * *

"Frannie," Casey, a mug of tea in hand, calls as Frannie enters the house.

"Casey," Frannie replies as she comes to a stop in front of the blonde.

"We need to talk."

"About what?" A look of fear crosses Frannie's face.

"Do you still want to move back into the house?"

"Yeah," Frannie replies.

"Then do it. You're officially off probation. We're moving forward," Casey says before turning to go back to her room.


	11. Chapter 11

"I am a fool," Cappie announces to the room and runs his hands down his face, stretching the skin at his frustration. "I kissed Casey."

Wade immediately crashes his car at Cappie's announcement. Dropping the controller into his lap he twists his body around to look at the president over the back of the couch.

"You did _what_?"

"I kissed Casey."

"What?" Beaver asks as he spits out the dry Fruit Loops he had just shoved into his mouth after walking back into the living room.

"I _kissed_ Casey."

"Casey? _Casey Cartwright_, Casey?" Keith asks in disbelief.

"Why?" Rusty asks, looking up from his physics book. Usually, Rusty didn't study at the Kappa Tau house but with Dale holding a Purity Pledge meeting and the library shut down for renovation to stop the amount of sex occurring the library stacks, Rusty had no choice.

"Do you really want me to answer that, Spitter?"

"Uh, no," Rusty is quick to respond. "Gross."

Mumbling, he gets up and heads to another room.

"Why _did_ you kiss her?" Wade asks but shakes his head before Cappie can answer. "No, don't tell me. I don't want to know."

"You don't have some creepy fetish for pregnant women, do you?" Heath asks him.

"Hey, as long as she's a 'MILF'," Beaver starts.

"No," Cappie says as he sits down where Rusty had been sitting. "God, no. And Beav, don't ever call Casey a 'MILF'."

Beaver shrugs his shoulders and shoves more Fruit Loops into his mouth.

"I thought you didn't care about being with her as long as you get to be a dad," Heath states.

"Yeah, but since she's giving the baby up and all, that's no…"

"She's doing what?" Cappie asks trying to keep a level head in case he didn't hear Wade right.

"Giving the baby up for…You didn't know?" Wade asks. "I thought you knew."

"Obviously, not," Heath mumbles.

"Where did you hear this?" Cappie demands rising to his feet.

"Rusty, man," Wade says. "Sorry, I thought you…"

"Spitter!" Cappie yells as he wonders around the house.

"Yeah?" Rusty asks from behind Cappie.

"Is your sister…is she…is Casey giving the baby up?" Cappie asks and Rusty diverts his gaze. "Tell me the goddamn truth, Spitter."

"Yeah. That's what she told my parents."

* * *

"Casey!" Cappie yells as he opens the front door of the ZBZ house. "Casey!"

"Cappie?" Casey asks from her place behind the podium in the dinning room as all eyes in the room fixate on him.

"What's _he_ doing here?" One of the girls hisses to another.

"What are you doing here, Cappie?" Casey asks as she shifts from one foot to another.

"Where you just not going to tell me?" He asks as he jabs his own chest with his finger.

"Sunday, we're helping out at Cyprus Memorial Hospital at two o'clock. Don't be late," Casey says and then slams her gravel. "Meeting adjourned."

Leaving her stuff on the podium for Ashleigh to collect, Casey grabs his sleeve.

"You. Come with me."

She pulls him out of the house through the front door and turns to face him.

"Was I not going to tell you what?" She asks, her tone bordering on annoyance.

"That you're giving the baby up for adoption," he yells back at her.

"When…Where…How did you find out?" She stammers out before the realization hits her. "Did Rusty tell you?"

"What does it matter who told me? You're giving my baby away!"

"Giving _your_ baby away?" She yells back at him. "You don't even know if it's your baby."

"Come off of it, Case. Deep down, you know it's mine."

"No, I don't," she counters.

"Yes, you do. We were _spontaneous_. You and Evan? Not spontaneous. Evan would _never_ forget a condom. Wouldn't want something like this to stain his future political career."

"And what about me? What about _you_? This isn't like the latest version of Grand Theft Auto. You can't be a dad religiously for six weeks and then toss it to the side when it gets boring. I have plans, Cappie. I have dreams. I want to do more with my life than be a teen mom."

"So you're giving the baby away to strangers so you won't be a teen mom? That's the most selfish thing I've ever heard."

"That's not fair," Casey says as Cappie retreats down the path.

* * *

"Is Cappie here?" Casey asks Wade after he opens the front door. She had decided to let Cappie cool off after yesterday's confrontation and she had arrived this morning at the KT house in order to explain her reason for choosing adoption better.

"He's…_indisposed_ right now."

"I know he's mad at me, Wade, but I really need to…" Casey trails off as she hears Rebecca's familiar voice. Wade tries to step out of the house and shut the door behind him but Casey shoves the door open. Rebecca pulls a shirtless Cappie down the stairs behind her and they both freeze when they see Casey's face.

"Big sis," Rebecca calls as she ascends the stairs. "What are you doing here?"

"Wh…what are you doing her, Bex?"

"Rebecca and I are back together," Cappie tells her as she comes to a stop besides Rebecca.

"You're…you're what?"

"We're dating," rbecca drawls out slowly as if Casey is four-years-old.

"Oh," Casey whispers and watches with wide eyes as Rebecca kisses Cappie in the foyer of the Kappa Tau house.

"I'll see you later," Rebecca tells Cappie as she slips out of the house.

"What can I do for you, Casey?" Cappie asks her.

"Uh, nothing. I have…I have to go," she mumbles and turns to leave.

Rushing past Rebecca, who's waiting on the porch, Casey manages to get all the way to the safety of her room before she can no longer hold in the tears.

"So much for safety net."

* * *

Cappie didn't mean to wind up in bed with Rebecca Logan. And not like Evan didn't mean to. He _really_ didn't mean to. But he had been upset. Which is really no excuse. But Casey's giving away the baby.

Her baby.

_His_ baby.

And Casey may deny it. Deny that he's father. But _come on_.

Casey and he were _spontaneous_. She was drunk. She had purposely lost the pool game. And he, _he_ was hoping that it would end in his favor.

And he can't even remember putting on a condom. The first time.

Or the second.

Or the third.

_Evan_?

Evan has never been spontaneous. _Never_. About the most spontaneous he has ever done was when he grew out a beard, a puberty patch, and tried to pledge Kappa Tau. And even then, he had wound up depledging and crawling back to Omega Chi.

Which is where he belonged in the first place.

But the Evan Cappie knew, the Evan everyone knew would _never_ forget a condom. Wouldn't want something like this to stain his future political career. Oh, it was alright for him to pull a Monica-under-the-desk or a Happy-Birthday-From-Marilyn but an unwanted pregnancy, a knocked up college girlfriend?

Not okay. And yet, Cappie had crawled into bed with Rebecca. Which he considered inexcusable. But he was angry. And the entire time his thoughts were consumed with Casey.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: **This chapter follows "41 hours and 11 minutes." And, as you know the drill, dialog tweaked to fit the whole pregnancy thing. I also left a few parts out, like the whole Dale thing even though I love Dale.

* * *

"Gentlemen," Cappie calls as he leans against the wooden wall dividing the foyer from the living room. "We are at the threshold of an invasion by a vast and powerful army. And international force that strikes fear and awe into the hearts of the bravest among us.

"An Omega Chi retaliation," Rusty says sinking into his chair further with the wonderment of how far this fight over his sister and the paternity of her baby has gone.

"Freshmen Parents' Weekend," Cappie announces and the rest of the Kappa Tau boys laugh. "Now, as tradition dictates, every house on Greek row holds some sort of event for your folks to enjoy."

"And," Wade interjects, "to let them see the money they drop on dues every semester is being well spent."

"As usual, Kappa Tau hosts our annual barbeque," Cappie says as a couple of boys rub their hands together in excitement. "And, as usual, preparation of said events falls on your, at times, questionable shoulders."

The pledge class groans as Rusty rubs his face.

"Am I hearing whining?" Cappie asks Wade.

"I think you are, Cap."

"Huh. _Freshman_ parents' weekend. _Freshman_ do the work and, even if it wasn't, need I remind you, _pledges_. Now the very nature of this event is entirely up to you. You gonna clean up, you gonna put a little effort in; make it all spiff and span for ma and pa? Or shows yourselves off in your natural habitat and fly that Kappa Tau flag freely?" Cappie asks while doing the hand gestures.

Rusty immediately jumps to his feet and begins to pick up abandoned red, plastic cups and wades of yellow napkins as his pledge class, and Cappie, look on in amazement.

"We're flying our flag?" Rusty asks in amazement.

"Come on, Spitter. This ain't high school any more," Matt says as Ben scratches his head. "We do what we want when we want."

"Who cares what our parents think?" Ben asks him. "As pledge class president, I say no cleaning. And we'll, uh, heat up some hot dogs. _Maybe_."

The guys laugh at Ben's remark.

"Okay, Cap," Rusty says snagging the president's attention. "Um, both my parents are professors. I don't think they're exactly going to appreciate the Kappa Tau flag."

"Rus, you're pledge brothers have chosen. Besides, what you're parents are going to expect really? You told them about us."

* * *

"Whadda mean Mom and Dad don't know about Kappa Tau?" Casey asks in the crowded Cyprus airport as Rusty's leg nervously shakes. "I know you talked about it over break."

She grabs his leg in an attempt to make him stop his nervous movement. "Just…"

"Sorry," he replies. "We did. I just haven't told them any real specifics."

"Okay," Casey trails off before recrossing her arms. "So what do they know?"

"They think it's a service fraternity."

"A service fraternity?" Casey asks with a snort.

"Kappa Taus' service."

"Yeah, the _beer_ industry."

"I've never lied to Mom and Dad before. How can I tell them the truth? You know how they feel about the Greek system, Case. Especially Mom," Rusty says. "It's a dangerous distraction…"

"From academics and your future," Casey finishes. "Yeah. I've heard. Rusty, if you need a living, breathing example of someone who manages to survive without parental approval, look no further."

"Hey, maybe you can help me explain it," Rusty tells her and Casey shifts her gaze uncomfortably. "Come on. They've accepted your involvement at ZBZ."

"First of all, accepted isn't quite the word I'd use. Secondly, I'm pregnant. So you probably don't want me explaining Greek society of them for you. Thirdly, this whole weekend is about you little man. I'll be entertaining a senator and his wife. Which means press coverage. Which means Nationals will be all over it. Which means I don't have time to manage Karen and Russell."

"Wow," Rusty mouths back at her.

"Look, just tell them the truth. Dad'll give you his durant understanding frown. And Mom will just put her hand on her chest and look disappointed and judgmental. You can take it."

"Yeah, you're right," Rusty replies.

"Flight five thirty-two from Chicago is now arrive at gate three," the man on the loudspeaker announces.

"I'm a big boy. I _can_ do this. I'm gonna tell them the truth. Tell 'em the Kappa Taus are regular fraternity and they don't give a crap about academics and they like to party."

The man on the loudspeaker announces the planes arrival again as Rusty and Casey both stand up.

"Look, in forty-seven hours and eleven minutes, we'll be back here sending them home to Chicago," Casey tells him as if it's a consolation prize. "And I'll go back to disappointing daughter who got pregnant, doesn't know who the father is, and corrupted their perfect son with my evil Greek ways."

"Hi," Karen Cartwright calls as she spots her son.

"Oh my God. I can't tell them the truth."

"Hey, Mom," Casey says as Rusty walks into their mother's outstretched arms and Casey heads towards their dad's.

"There's my big man on campus," Karen calls to her son.

"I missed you, Mom," Rusty mumbles in Karen's ear.

"I missed you too. You look great."

"Hi, honey," Karen says giving her daughter a peck on the cheek. "How are you? You look lovely."

* * *

"So, what's it like being a senator's daughter?" Cappie asks as he and Rebecca stroll hand in hand across campus.

"What's it like being a hippie's son?"

"Hey, my parents are too young to be hippies," Cappie chastises. "They're not hippies. They're free spirits."

"Oh," Rebecca replies with a nod.

"And there's nothing special about being their son."

"Well, neither is being a senator's daughter."

"Oh, yeah, except for the money. The power. The prestige. The press."

"The restriction. The phonies. The scrutiny."

"Wow, you make it sound like a lot more fun than I do."

"Can we please not talk about my family?"

"I just want some pre-introduction stats. Is your father a cigar guy? Is he a smoking is bad guy? Is he into golf? Or team sports? How about your mom? Is she the kinda person who loves…"

"You're not going to meet them, okay?" Rebecca tells him as she stops in front of him. "I…I just don't want to do the whole met the parent's thing."

"Oh," Cappie replies. "Okay. I was just thinking we could have a nice meal with some amush-bush. Something poached. Maybe chutney."

"I'm sorry. It's just…this is new. And it's nice. And I don't want to jam it into the parent microscope yet, alright?"

"Yeah," Cappie says with a nod of his head. "Yeah. Fine. Sure."

He raps his arm around Rebecca shoulders and begins to lead her down the sidewalk wondering if this has anything to do with Casey and the baby.

* * *

"So, are you ready to work off this massive brunch?" Rusty asks as he hands his parents the list of available activities.

"What's this?" Russell asks as he opens the folded sheet of paper and holds it out she had and Karen can both read it. "Wow, Rus. What an extensive selection of events."

"Honey, look. It's an astronomical introduction to the night sky. Oh, I'd love to hear their take on Pluto. Stupid dwarf planet."

Rusty chuckles and Casey forces a smile. She had heard something about Pluto not being a planet any more, thanks to the Facebook group 'When I Was Your Age, Pluto Was A Planet' but she doesn't quite get the whole dwarf planet comment. The only thing she gets is that Karen is convinced she's starving herself for some ZBZ weight check and that Casey's purposefully putting her bab…_the_ baby in danger.

"And then after lunch, we have this fun geological walking tour of the campus. And then there's an open house at the engineering department. We have a historical walking tour of the campus. A special lecture on cyberspace and metapolitics. Dinner. Then bed."

"Casey, will you be joining us today?" Karen asks her hands clasped together on the table.

"You know, I'd love too. Cyberpolitics and metaspace are always hard to pass up but I am slammed this weekend. And I figured, freshman parents weekend, you being the parents and Rusty being the freshman. I'll see you all at dinner tonight."

"Sorority's keeping you pretty busy, huh?" Russell asks.

"Actually, we're hosting a US senator, uh, today. Senator Logan. A man who everyday makes decisions that affect great change in our nation."

"Well, a sorority is a good place for Senator Logan. I mean, after all of his votes against funding higher education, I mean, he'd be an idiot to go anywhere near anything remotely academic on a college campus," Karen says with a laugh and Russell joins in with a chuckle.

"Zeta Beta Zeta has the highest cumulative grade point average of the sororities on campus," Casey snaps.

"Well, that's great honey. What about you're fraternity, Rusty? Serious, likeminded boys without any sort of animal house distractions. I mean, you must be pushing a four point oh."

"I'm not sure if anyone's added it up."

"Or could," Casey mumbles.

"What was that, honey?" Karen asks with eager interest.

"Coffee. It's good."

"Oh, Casey, you shouldn't be drinking coffee. It isn't good for the you-know-who," Karen says as she stands and reaching across the table, yanks the cup and saucer away.

"Rusty, I don't see anything about your little fraternity on here. Are we going to be able to check that out later?"

"Unfortunately, it's closed this weekend."

"Oh," Russell replies.

"Because most of the guys are out of town," Rusty elaborates. "In Mexico…building huts."

"Is that right?" Russell asks and for a brief minute Casey thinks that their not buying it.

"For humanity," Rusty says and his dad nods his head. "Like habitat for humanity. But huts. So…_hub_itat."

Karen and Russell nods their heads with understanding and Casey is utterly convinced that they've lost it. First, the whole 'We'll Raise The Baby For You' thing and now this.

Completely and utterly lost it.

"Yeah," Rusty says. "Great people."

"You guys should probably get going. Don't wanna miss any of that tour."

"Oh, right," Karen says as she grabs her purse and Russell checks the time on his watch.

"Bye Rusty," Casey calls after them. "Bye Mom."

"Bye honey," Karen says as she leans in to give Casey some semblance of a kiss.

"Mwah," Casey directs at her father with emphasis as he pats her shoulder and rushes after Karen and Rusty. "Bye Dad."

* * *

She's wearing that blue dress. The one that she bought on sale because she fell in love with it. Even though it was on clearance. Even though it was a size too big.

But right now, right now it's her _saving grace_. Because while it shows off her newly enhanced cleavage, it does a damn good job of hiding her bump. Even Ashleigh, who's always the first to tell her when she's showing, said that she couldn't tell that Casey's in the family way.

"And Ash, make sure there are ZBZs near him at all times to maximize a photo op," Casey directs to her best friend after finishing off her last round of commands. "While Senator and Mrs. Logan _and_ the press are here, they are numerio uno."

"Got it," Ashleigh replies.

"I hope your folks will be favorably impressed," Casey tells Rebecca as the pledge walks towards her.

"They'll be touched by your concern for their happiness and…Oh, wait, I see Piscati," Rebecca replies for leaving. Casey, in a panic, hurries over to the offending item and picks it up just as the doorbell rings. She drops the tray into the nearest chair and shoves it under the table.

"Mom? Dad?" Casey says as she pushes her way to the front door. "Rusty, what are you doing here?"

"Change of plans. Rusty's fraternity is throwing a last minute dinner tonight," Russell informs her.

"The Kappa Tau barbeque," Rusty elaborates. "I realized I need a little time to help my brothers at the service fraternity get the place ready before Mom and Dad come over."

"And," Karen jumps in, "we thought that since we hadn't gone to your parents' weekend your freshman year that, you know, why not give it a shot now."

"Why not?" Rusty asks with a smile on his face that Casey would gladly rip right off. He knows how important this weekend is to her.

So he doesn't know wow much Nationals' decision to kick her out of the house is riding on this weekend and Senator Logan's time at the ZBZ house but Casey had thought she had at least given him the idea of how important this is to her.

"Unless, there's some trouble and we can always go back to the hotel," Karen informs her.

"Or pitch in a help Rusty's fraternity. Would they mind that?" Russell asks.

"No," Casey says jumping into to be her brother's saving grace. "It's not trouble at all. It's…it's great. Come on it and have some tea."

"I'll see you at dinner tonight," Rusty says.

"Alright," Karen replies.

"Love you."

"Love you too," Karen calls after Rusty as he exits the ZBZ house and Casey leads them into the dinning room.

"And if you guys want some coffee, we have regular and decaf."

"I doubt the boy's little soirée will be this impressive," Russell says.

"I'm sure most of the money goes towards philanthropy rather than entertainment," Karen replies.

* * *

"Ken Logan," Senator Logan says stretching his hand out towards Karen Cartwright.

"Senator," Karen replies as she shakes his hand. "Which one of this impressive young ladies is yours?"

"Uh," Casey says as she jumps between her parents and Senator Logan. "I'm her's. She's mine."

"My daughter and I were walking earlier about your higher education funding and…"

"Would you," Casey starts, "excuse us? I need to…Come."

"Oh, excuse me," Karen says as she follows Casey out of the room and Russell shakes the senator's hand before exiting. Karen clutches her saucer as she climbs the stairs, Russell following closely behind. The pair follow Casey down the hallway and through the door marked 'Casey and Ashleigh's Room' on a pink construction paper sign with gold puff paint.

"Casey, I wasn't gonna attack that man," Karen informs her daughter as Casey shuts the door behind them. "I was just gonna ask him a question, which as an elected official he should be able to field."

"But here? Right the guy a letter."

"Fine. Fine. We'll let's talk about you," Karen says gesturing to her daughter's belly.

"Hi," Ashleigh says from the door jam. Like a good friend, she had followed Casey and her parents up to her and Casey's room in case Casey needed to…tie them up so they wouldn't pull out sonogram pictures and start blubbering about being proud grandparents. "I'm Ashleigh. I'm Casey's roommate. Ugh, I can't tell you how much moral has improved since Casey's become president. Basically saved us from losing our charter which would be…"

Ashleigh makes a gesture of stabbing herself in the throat.

"Or…" she says as she makes a gesture for hanging herself. "Whatever. Because of her hard work, we're still in good standing."

"Terrific, Ashleigh."

"Yeah because now we can focus all of our energy on the reasons we joined ZBZ in first place. Parties and mixers…"

Casey violently shakes her head no with panic written all across her face.

"Sister bonding. And rituals. Traditions," Ashleigh says as she backs out of the room. "Philanthropy."

"And getting pregnant," Karen mumbles.

Casey whirls around to face her parents as Ashleigh slips out of the room.

"Is this what you think this is? That this is some place for us to line up and get pregnant like a puppy mill?"

"Casey," Russell starts before pinching his nose between his thumb and his index finger. "We don't think that at all."

Karen snorts.

"My grades are _good_. Everything's _fine_. And I'm still very much considering law school."

"Everything is _not_ fine, Casey," Karen replies. "You're pregnant. In twenty-three weeks you're going to be a mom."

"No, I'm not. I'm giving the baby up for adoption. And then, if I want, I'm going to go to law school."

"To be a lawyer?" Karen asks.

"I'm not sure at this exact moment."

"Well, before you go down a road, you need to know where you're headed."

"Well, I'm thinking about politics."

"See, honey, come on. This is junior year. You have to start making some tough decisions. Especially since you're going to be a mom."

"I just told I'm not going to be a mom. Some other woman will be. And why do you want me to make decisions now? At a sorority tea?"

"Look at Rusty," Karen offers. "He's focused. He's getting his BS in polymer sci. He's gonna graduate and go to graduate school. He's going to JPL."

"Mom," Casey snaps. "As you've made abundantly clear, I am _not_ Rusty."

"We don't expect you to be Rusty," Russell replies.

"What I want is to be in the center of things. To be challenged and inspired. I'm just not sure what form that's going to take."

"Well," Karen replies. "You know, if you took a little less time with your social life and saving the sorority, you could be specific. You _need_ to be specific because you're going…"

"To be a mom." Casey fills in for her. "How many times do I have to tell you? I am giving the baby up for adoption."

"It's not that simple Casey," Karen replies as she sets her tea cup on Ashleigh's messy desk. "You might take one look at that baby and realize that you can't possibly give it away."

"I'm not giving it away," Casey snaps.

"Have you really put any thought into this, Casey?" Karen asks her daughter.

"Yes. I'm making decisions. I _thought_ that's what you wanted."

"Regardless, we worry about you Casey," Russell tells his daughter as he touches her elbow.

"Don't," Casey snaps. "Why don't you just try having a little faith in me? Instead of constantly telling me everything I'm interested in or good at is a waste of time."

Casey shakes her head as she turns as exits the room.

* * *

She's walked all the way across campus only to find herself drawn into the familiarity of Dobler's despite the fact that she's pregnant and can't drink. Spotting Cappie sitting on top of a bar stool at the bar, she pauses on the steps and sighs before making her way over to him.

"Diet Coke, please," she tells the bartender and Cappie turns to look at her.

"Tough day on the road crew, eh, Mac?" Cappie asks in his "manly" voice as she sinks down next to him.

"My parents are here."

"Geez, between you and your brother I'm expecting the parental Cartwrights to be some kind of oozing, green monsters with, I don't know, your smile. Maybe Rusty's hair."

"Worse," she says smiling a genuine smile for the first time since she caught him and Rebecca coming down the stairs of the Kappa Tau house. "They look perfectly normal. If you met then, you, like everyone else, would love them."

"Well, in two hours I'll get to test that theory. In twenty-three weeks…"

"Right," she says cutting him off. "Right. My parents are going to Kappa Tau. Huh, this'll be fun."

"And…this please you?" Cappie asks.

"Umhum," she says nodding her head and taking a sip of her soda.

"Because you think they'll be disapprove of us?"

"Oh, yeah," she replies and he nods his head with understanding. "I'm not proud of wanting that."

"You know, it's so inspiring to see such a caring sibling relationship. But be warned, KTs might actually surprise you."

She can't tell is he's referring to the party or to _himself_.

"It'll take more than bleaching furniture polish to fool Karen Cartwright," she replies and he laughs.

* * *

"I wasn't sure if you were coming," Karen says as she, Russell, and Casey exit the hotel for Casey's car.

"We said we were having dinner together."

"Yes, we did. But after what happened earlier…"

"Which happened in the past," Russell reminds them as he puts his hands on his wife and daughter's backs. "Traveling to the future. A night of family fun."

"You're right. I'm sorry. I look forward to having a lovely evening with all of us together."

"I know I'm looking forward to it," Casey replies as she opens the door for her dad. "I can't wait to see what you two think of Kappa Tau."

* * *

The house looks nothing like what Casey expected. There are no empty bottles that used to contain alcohol on the floor. There are no red, plastic cups covering every available surface. And the familiar smell of the KT house is gone.

There's even a banner hanging that says 'Kappa Tau Brothers In Service.' And Casey is dying to know how much Rusty had to pay them to hang that sign. Or what he had to promise to do in order to get them to hang that sign.

"Hey," Rusty says as he gives Karen a hug.

"Nice banner," Casey tells him.

"Thanks. Doesn't it look good?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright, I'm Cappie," Cappie says as he shakes Karen and Russell's hands. "President of Kappa Tau Gamma."

"As in Cappie Cappie?" Russell asks his daughter.

"The one and only," Cappie says with a smile that is quickly swiped off his face as Russell's fist come in contact with his jaw.

"Dad!" Casey chastises as Cappie clutches the right side of his face.

"I see you told your parents about me," Cappie spats at Casey.

"Casey I don't know why you said that this guy wasn't to be a dad. He's president of a _service_ fraternity," Karen says.

"Some service he's done," Russell mumbles as he shakes out his aching hand.

"Hush, Russell," Karen says as she grabs Cappie's arm. "Let's go get you some ice. And kudos to you on all the work you kids do."

"Oh, thank you so much," Cappie says as he steers her towards the kitchen. "Well, we are very committed to what we do here."

Russell follows behind them and Casey takes a step closer to her brother.

"Kudos to you on all the work you kids do," she mimics.

* * *

Surprisingly, twenty minutes later Casey finds that her father has forgotten all about her "honor." Instead, he's laughing with Wade, Karen, and Rusty at some joke she can't hear from her place by the punch bowl.

"I'm gonna go get some food. I'll see you in a second," Rusty says as he breaks away from the group and makes his way towards Casey. "Hey."

"Can't believe you got these guys to put on this ridiculous joke."

"Well, I learned from the best. You've been pulling this off most of your life. Now it's my turn."

"Yep. You're perfect."

"Thanks again for helping out this afternoon. I mean it."

"Any time, Rus."

"Um, listen, there's another party. There's a _real_ party after all the parents leave if you want to come back. Thanks again."

* * *

"Dad, I'd like you to meet Cappie, my boyfriend," Rebecca says catching Cappie off guard.

"Senator Logan, it's a pleasure to met you."

"Nice to met you."

"Had I know you we're coming I would've worn socks."

"Oh," Rebecca says. "No need for that. I want him to met you just as you are."

"Uh, this is my friend, uh…"

"Charles," Beaver…Charles fills in. "It's a pleasure, sir."

"Nice to met you," Senator Logan replies.

"Excuse me," Beaver…Charles tells them before walking away.

"So, uh, are you enjoying your stay, sir?" Cappie asks.

"Uh, very much so. Beautiful campus."

Rebecca slides her hand across Cappie's back and down his ass as he twists away from her in an attempt to make a good first impression.

"Beautiful weather."

"Yeah," Cappie replies. "You ever notice that it's twenty degrees warmer here than the rest of the state? We never have to wear coats. Who said there's no upside to global warming?"

Senator Logan eyes his daughter's movements before replying.

"Who said there's such a thing as global warming? So are you from around here?"

"No, sir," Cappie says feeling uncomfortable with Rebecca's actions right now. "Uh, northern California."

"But his family moved around a lot," Rebecca fills in.

"In the military?"

"Deadheads," Rebecca replies. "Followed the band everywhere."

"Uh, well, I'd love to meet them."

"Uh, there's not here. Uh, this is freshmen parents' weekend. I'm…I'm a junior."

"So, Cappie, what is your area of study?"

Cappie sighs and opens his mouth to speak only to have Rebecca interrupt him.

"Oh, Cappie's declared a lot of majors."

"I have a voracious intellectual appetite," Cappie elaborates trying to sugarcoat Rebecca's response.

"And he's not very ambitious," Rebecca tells her father and Cappie snorts with his overwhelming feeling of uncomfortableness.

"Would you excuse us, sir?" Cappie asks before pulling Rebecca away.

"Why are you trying to make me look like Kevin Federline?"

"Kevin Federline is an upstanding citizen."

"You know what I mean," Cappie snaps. "I'm trying to get your father to like me and you're making me look like…"

Cappie pauses to follow her gaze.

"You don't want him to like me?"

"I don't care who he likes."

"Yes, you do. And you're trying to use me to piss him off."

"Oh, come on. You can take it."

Cappie shifts his gaze from her to Casey off in the distance, who's one her fourth or fifth cup of punch and he's really glad that he stopped Beaver from spiking it earlier because their baby would probably be suffering from the dire effects of fetal alcohol syndrome by now.

And, for some reason, he feels the urgent need to go talk to her.

"Tell you father it was nice to meet him," Cappie says as he rubs his hand over his growing bruise.

"Where are you going?"

"If you wanna piss off daddy, fine. Leave me out of it."

"Cappie, come on," Rebecca calls after him but he keeps walking.

* * *

"Well, this was so fun. My first frat party," Karen says as Rusty leads her to the front door arm in arm.

"Yes, I'm so glad you guys came."

"Are you sure we can't cart you off for some dessert?" Russell asks as they all come to a stop in front of the door.

"I can't. I can't. Pledges have to clean up," Rusty reminds them as Ben Bennett pats him on the shoulder.

"We just hate waking up to a mess," Ben informs them as a empty tequila bottle hits the floor. Karen and Rusty both dart glances at it before Rusty binds down and picks it up.

"Recycling," he says with a shrug.

"Of course," Karen replies. "Well, I guess it's just us then."

"I guess so," Casey replies

"Bye honey," Karen says as she gives Rusty a hug good bye. "This is so wonderful."

"So proud of you," Russell says as he shakes his namesakes hand and follows his wife out the door.

"Bye dad," Rusty replies. "Bye Casey."

"Rusty," she says with a nod of her head.

"See ya."

* * *

"Did you know Ben Bennett is a kidney donor?" Russell asks his wife and daughter as they make their way to a local bakery for ice cream.

"I hadn't heard that," Casey replies as she taps her index fingers on the side of the steering wheel.

"I didn't hear it from Ben himself. One of the brothers told me about it. I think it's great it."

"It is so amazing. What an impressive collection of young men. And Cappie. _Especially_ Cappie. I mean, whole some and healthy. You know, committed to social welfare," Karen says as she taps her daughter's shoulder.

"It would be Rusty who goes off to college to find a group like this."

"Hey," Karen stats. "You know, the house could come and give a kind of how to philanthropy seminar to you sorority."

_That's it_, Casey thinks as she slams on the breaks and throws the car in reverse to turn it around.

"Whoa, sweetheart. Where are you going?" Karen asks as Casey slams on the gas.

"I forgot something at Kappa Tau."

* * *

She throws open the door to the house and immediately storms towards the basement entrance.

"Wow, where'd everybody go?" Karen asks as she follows her daughter into the house.

"Case, what'd you forget?" Russell asks as he shuts the front door.

"I left it in the basement."

"Since when where you in the basement?" Russell asks her but Casey doesn't reply as she heads down the stairs, her parents following suit.

Downstairs, the boys of Kappa Tau are clinking together beer bottles and dancing with scantly clad girls from TriPi.

"This is more like it," Casey mumbles under her breath.

"What's going on here?" Russell asks as he takes the last two steps down.

"Who are these people?" Karen asks.

"Uh, Katrina victims," Casey replies as she leads her parents to the middle of the party.

"Where's Rusty?" Russell asks his daughter as Casey scans the crowded room.

"I don't know. Hey, Rusty?"

Rusty stands up the realization of the voice calling out for him is his sister's and turns around to face his parents. The clothing he was wearing before had been tossed aside for a skimpy maid costume that Casey's sure not even the TriPis would wear for Halloween.

"Mom. Dad," Rusty says shaking his head. "I don't drink."

And all of the sudden, Casey feels like the worst sister ever.

"Casey," Russell says from behind her. "Go back to your sorority. We need to talk to Rusty."

"_Alone_," Karen adds.

* * *

"He totally deserved it, right?" Casey asks Ashleigh as she paces across the room. "I mean, putting on the whole little 'Mr. Perfect' act at everyone else's expense."

"I can't believe anyone would buy the KTs as a service fraternity. How did they explain the vomit smell?"

"If it was associated with my brother, my parents probably smelled like roses," Casey tells Ashleigh as the door to their balcony opens.

"Oh, you're like scary mad," Ashleigh says as she slides off the bed and heads towards the door.

"I am."

Rusty looks at Casey. Casey looks at Rusty.

"Why would you ambush me like that?"

"You're eighteen years old, Rusty. It's time for you to stand up to Mom and Dad and fight."

"For what? My right to party? You knew they wouldn't understand."

"You wanted to join a fraternity. Why not just say it?"

"Because I'm not like you. I care what Mom and Dad think of me."

"Newsflash!" Casey snaps back. "So do I. And I'm so tired of them thinking you're perfect and I'm ridiculous. That I'm the knocked up sorority bimbo and you're apart of this great, god-like service fraternity."

"Yeah, well, well you try being Casey Cartwright's dorky, little brother. Your sister's so pretty. Your sister's so cool. Your sister has friends. You were, like, perfect."

"To everyone except Mom and Dad."

"They're making me quit Kappa Tau."

"What?"

"Personally, I'd rather they thought I was ridiculous."

And now Casey _really_ feels like the worst sister ever.

* * *

"Brought you breakfast," Rebecca calls as she opens the door to Cappie's room and he diverts his gaze. "Your favorite."

"Greasy egg sandwich and forty-four ounces of sugar and caffeine," she tells him as she heads over to his bed .

"Dad with a pretty girl," Cappie says directing her to the school paper's photo of Senator Logan with Casey. "Zeta Beta without the scandal."

"Yeah, win win for all concerned."

Flipping the paper over, he sighs while she places her purse on his nightstand and takes a seat on his bed.

"So there's no mention of the senator's daughter's poor taste in boyfriends, though."

"I know I said I'm not that girl any more but sometimes he just gets to me. I can't help myself from trying to piss him off," Rebecca assures him and Cappie throws her a dubious look.

_Like you're not doing that to Casey with Rebecca_, a voice deep inside Cappie reminds him.

"That's your apology?"

"It's my excuse," she tells him as he throws the paper down and folds his arms. "I'm getting to the apology."

He cross his arms, adverts his gaze, and sighs.

"My father's having an affair."

"Oh," Cappie says as his harsh facial features soften.

"And…this time he's with that stupid, bowl-headed aid. I saw her coming out of his hotel room in a robe."

"'kay," he says inching towards her. "Well, if there was an acceptable excuse, which there isn't, that would, you know, be up there."

"I'm so sorry I used you last night. That's the last thing I would ever want you to feel. I don't want to push you away because…I think that I…you know, maybe, very possibly, care about you."

"Maybe? Very possibly? Wow, you're smothering me," Cappie tells her sarcastically.

"Hey, that's huge for me."

Reaching out, he grabs the back of her neck and pulls her in for a kiss, despite the fact that he feels like the worst person in the world right about now.

"Excuse and apology accepted."

* * *

Casey is bound and determine to fix this. She's the one that messed it up. She's the one who is the worst sister, maybe even the worst _person_ in the world. Rusty had only tried to help when this whole pregnancy thing had blown up in her face and she had just ruined college for him.

"We're doing what we think is best for him," Russell tells his daughter.

"But it's not. Look, there's more to college than just school. I know you guys think that fraternities and sororities are some kind of gateway drug to pointless life but they're not. Rusty's great. He's not going to end up like plan-less, pregnant, and unfocused Casey. Don't worry he's not going to be like _me_."

"I can't think of anyone I'd rather be like."

"Rusty, I'm trying to help you," Casey spells out for him.

"Hey, I'm trying to help them understand that being like you is something to aspire to. If I were like you I'd have amazing people skills. I'd be able to solve problems creatively. If I got to be president of my fraternity, I'd basically be learning how to be CEO of a small corporation. All in all, I'd be pretty incredible," Rusty tells him as Casey blushes.

"And I'd expect my parents to be proud of me. Oh, and I would stand up for what I want no matter what. Which means, for right now, I will be remaining in Kappa Tau while maintaining the high academic standards, that happen to be just as important to me as they are to you. If I have to find some way to pay for it myself, I will," Rusty informs them before taking a seat at the table.

"I wanna see a menu. I wanna see it now," Rusty says and Casey is one hundred percent sure she's never been prouder of her brother than right now.

* * *

"We've decided to let Rusty stay in the fraternity," Karen informs Casey as she digs into the plastic bag in her hands for another piece of candy. "Your father's telling him now."

Casey smiles a small smile at her brother's accomplishment.

"You know, halfway through your brother's, uh, soliloquy at breakfast it became very apparent that your stubbornness and independence had rubbed off on him."

"Which aren't my worst characteristics."

"They're two of your best and you got 'em from me."

"Have you see my mother? I mean, you have the same mom hair but…"

"And our tendency towards sarcasm not either of our best characteristics," Karen informs her before leaning in. "Casey, we're very different people and I don't know if I'll ever understand your approach to life…"

"But that doesn't mean that…"

"Let me finish," Karen interrupts as she grabs her daughter's arm. "But that doesn't mean that it doesn't have value. And that it's not going to lead to some magnificent and purposeful place."

Casey smiles.

"Thank you."

"Now I can't promise that I'm still not going to nag about GREs and LSATs…"

"That's all right," Casey cuts off. "I guess I could use a slightly more defined plan of action."

"_Slightly_ more defined? Casey, you're about to be a mom and…"

"Mom!" Casey quickly cuts off. "You're about to ruin a really nice moment here."

Karen sighs. All she's wanted since Casey turned thirteen is a relationship with her daughter so she'll relent, even though her _pregnant_ daughter has no plan of action.

"Attention passengers, flight two seventeen…" the loudspeaker announces as Karen wraps her arms around her daughter, "is now boarding."

"Ok'y dokey," Russell says as he and Rusty head over towards Casey and Karen. "Our flight is boarding."

"Oh, alright," Karen says as she stands up. "Off we go."

"Bye Mom," Rusty says giving Karen a one armed hug.

"Bye honey," Karen tells him. "I love you."

"I love you too. Thanks for coming."

"Bye Mom." Casey says as she too gives their mother a quick hug.

"Come on Russell," Karen tells her husband as she grabs her suitcase's handle from Rusty.

"Bye Dad," Casey says as she gives Russell a hug.

"Bye sweetheart. Take care of yourself and the baby," he mumbles against her blonde hair before following Karen off towards the gate.

"You and Mom looked pretty chummy," Rusty informs Casey.

"After your throw down this morning, I kinda became their new favorite, despite being the pregnant one," she replies. "Sorry."

Rusty shrugs his shoulders in response and Casey grabs his arm.

"And I'm really, _really_ sorry for the ambushing."

"I'm actually relieved they know. But I could have done without them seeing me in drag."

"Yeah," Casey replies with a smile. "This was a pretty good trip."

"Yeah, I'm kind of sorry to see them go," Rusty replies as they make their way to the airport exit.

"Attention passengers on flight two seventeen to Chicago," Casey pauses and motions for Rusty to do the same. "Your flight has been delayed two hours."

With hesitation, they both rush for the exit.


	13. Chapter 13

Once again, Casey's avoiding Cappie. And Rebecca.

Because this hurts. The fact that she hurts him and he goes out to hurt her hurts.

Except what's really bothering her is the fact that _this_ is bothering her because it shouldn't. It shouldn't bother her that Cappie has a girlfriend, even is it is Rebecca-freaking-Logan. It shouldn't bother her that he seems to have moved on so quickly. It shouldn't bother her.

But it does.

So much.

Every time she sees them together, every time she sees them kissing out of the corner of her eyes, she feels betrayed.

And she shouldn't because he's not hers. He hasn't been hers for a long time.

"Case," Ashleigh says touching Casey's elbow to break her concentration on Cappie and Rebecca, who are currently sitting at a table by the coffee cart with their lips locked. "Let's get out of here. How about a movie? _Ironman_? Guy with his shirt off. _A lot_."

Casey mumbles something Ashleigh can't understand and continues to stare at Cappie and Rebecca, turning her head to the side as if she's trying to figure out exactly what they're doing.

"Casey," Ashleigh says snapping her fingers in front of Casey's face.

"Do you think they've had sex yet?"

"Excuse me," Ashleigh chokes out.

"You heard me. Think they've had sex yet?"

"Okay," Ashleigh says steeping in front of Casey in order to block her view of Cappie and Rebecca. "I am so not having this conversation with you. How you're getting that weird, black line up your belly from you know where? Sure. How your boobs are so tender that you have to sleep on your back every night? Sure. But I am _so_ not talking to you about Cappie's sex life. That's just..._Ew_!"

Cappie tips her head the other way to look around Ashleigh and drops her mouth open.

"They've been going at it for like ten minutes. Don't they have to breathe?" Casey asks and Ashleigh shakes her head.

"Apparently not," she says as she grabs Casey's arm and pulls her away for the scene. "Let's go."

"Ash," Casey drawls out as Ashleigh pulls her away.

* * *

"So…" Ashleigh prompts as they walk out of the movie theater. She takes sideway steps and fingers her necklace as Casey shovels more popcorn in his mouth. "Wasn't he hot?"

"Uh, sure," Casey offers and Ashleigh sighs, her shoulders dropping as she turns to walk the correct way. "Sorry but…"

"You have to pee like every five seconds," Ashleigh drawls out and she rolls her eyes. "And you're hungry, so you had to go buy more popcorn."

"Look," Casey starts as she turns to face her best friend. "I'm sorry I missed some…"

"All," Ashleigh corrects.

"_All_ of the movie but I can't do anything about it. Imagine this twenty-four hours I day."

"I don't have to," Ashleigh says smiling and begins walking again. "You wake me up every time you go to the bathroom at ni…"

"_Sorry_," Casey mumbles.

"Case, it's okay. You're going to be a mom…"

"Will everyone just stop saying that," Casey says sinking down onto the wooden bench.

"Case," Ashleigh starts as she sits down next to her, "it's kinda the truth. You're going to be a mom."

"No, somebody else is going to be a mom. I'm just the…"

"Incubator," Ashleigh says cutting her off. "Casey, do you remember Genevieve Hanley from sophomore year?"

Casey averts her gaze from Ashleigh to the empty cup from the movie theater rolling around on the sidewalk and Ashleigh takes her silence as a yes.

"Well, after she came back from Minnesota and she was all stay-away-from-me, I asked her what was wrong. You know what she told me?" Ashleigh asks, pausing before continuing.

"She, _her parents_, had decided to give the baby up for adoption. The plan was she wouldn't see her son but she did, Casey. And she told me she felt like her heart has been ripped out. You know how they say a mother falls in love with her child she minute she sees them? Genevieve _did_. She fell in love with her son and she couldn't give him up but she did. And she felt like she had died. All she ever did was cry for Samuel and even now, the last I talked to her, she still hates herself for giving away Sam."

"So?" Casey whispers as she runs her thumb nail under her other.

"So, I don't want you to go into the lightly. What if you can't do it? What then, Casey? Do you have a plan B?"

"I don't need one," Casey says jumping to her feet. "I'm not Genevieve."

Ashleigh sighs, her shoulders slump again as she watches Casey walk away from her.

"I have a plan," a voice from behind her announces and Ashleigh twist her body around to face the speaker.

"Cappie?"

"I read the Kappa Tau handbook," Cappie says taking a seat next to her and Ashleigh snorts.

"You guys have a handbook?"

"Apparently. And, apparently, there's protocol for when the KT President's girlfriend gets pregnant. Surprisingly, it's completely different from when a Kappa Tau boy get his girlfriend pregnant but…"

"And what's the protocol when a KT bribes the TA in order to get a girl who still loves him back in his bed?" Ashleigh replies.

"A girl who still loves him?" Cappie asks her and Ashleigh can't help but smile back at him.

"So the protocol?" Ashleigh prompts.

"Move out. Appoint-live in vice president. Continue to be involved in KT life. Be a good dad."

"Sounds like a plan to me. Have you found an apartment?"

"Uh," Cappie starts with confusion written across his face. "I didn't…"

"There are no babies allowed at the ZBZ house, so you might want to start looking," She tells him as she stands up. "And if you need any help, you know where _I_ am."

* * *

Two days later, he's looking at apartments close to campus. Except there really aren't any apartments around campus that are immediately available because all of them have been taken by non-Greek students, who don't live on campus. And he kind of needs to get one now. Because he needs to prove to Casey that he's serious, so she won't give the baby away, so he can prove once and for all that he's not the same stoned, _Old School_-watching, horrible boyfriend he once was. Prove that he's changed. That he's…

_Still in love with her?_

"Cappie," Rebecca calls as she hurries to catch up with him.

"Hey," Cappie mumbles.

"Are you okay?" She asks him as she laces her fingers into his.

"Uh-huh," Cappie mumbles while nodding his head.

"So, I was thinking…" Rebecca tells him but Cappie's not listening, all of his attention focused instead on a familiar blonde whose crossing the quad. The bounce of her step causes her ponytail to sway and, if he squints hard enough, he can see the slight strain of her black, zip-up hoddie against the swell of her belly. To anyone else who didn't know, you couldn't see it. But he can and all of the sudden he has an overwhelming urge to reach out and touch it. To rush over to her and strike up a conversation. To _kiss_ her.

"So, whadda think?" Rebecca asks and he turns his attention back to her.

"Sorry," he mumbles. "I, uh, I have to go. I just remembered something I…I need to do."

"Okay," Rebecca drawls out as he pulls his hand apart from hers and forces himself to give her a small smile before he heads into Clark Hall. Zigzagging between economics majors, he throws open the door and takes the three steps down to the sidewalk, bumping right into who he was looking for.

Caught off guard, Casey loses her balance and feels a hand clamp onto her right arm tightly. She turns her head to look at the person who knocked her off balance and smiles as Cappie holds her steady.

"Sorry, Case," he says with _that_ smile on his face.

The one that's reserved _solely_ for her.

"Cappie," she whispers and the heat from his hand makes her shiver.

"I was thinking we could go get dinner," he tells her and he watches her face for an answer. Dropping her smile, she bits on her lip and her eyes convey a sense of wistfulness.

"I can't," she replies. "We're getting ready for the Mr. Purr-fect contest and…"

"It's okay," Cappie replies. "I understand. Do you know who you're coaching?"

He's genuinely interested but a part of him, a _big_ part of him, is hoping that she'll say Kappa Tau.

"Not Omega Chi," she says and he can't help but let out an exhale of breath he didn't even know he was holding.

"Smart move."

"Yeah, and Rebecca is coaching you guys."

"Oh," he says and they both have the same look their face. Like they both just remembered that Rebecca exists.

"Dinner isn't a goo…dinner isn't an option," she tells him shaking her head no.

"Breakfast?" He counters.

"I…I can't, Cap," she replies. "I'm not…"

"A home-wreaking whore?"

"Not the words I'd use," she mumbles. "I'll see you around campus, okay, Cap?"

He nods his head yes and watches her walk away, something he seems to _always_ be doing, before he pulls out his cell phone.

"Ashleigh? It's Cappie. Do you think you could come see an apartment?"

Cappie waits her response before responding.

"Four-thirty? Sure. Thanks Ashleigh."


	14. Chapter 14

This appointment she's doing alone. She doesn't need the boys going to blows over who the father is any more. She doesn't need the stress. She doesn't need the puppy dog eyes and the ex-boyfriends hanging around just because they might have knocked her up.

She doesn't even want to think about them hanging around because they still love her.

So she's doing this alone, which was the plan all along, until Wade and Beaver told Cappie and Cappie told Rusty and Rusty told Evan and…_everything_ blew up in her face.

"Casey," Julie says opening the door to the exam room. Casey hadn't heard her knock and is caught a bit off guard. "Are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Casey mumbles back.

* * *

It takes forty-eight hours for DNA testing to be complete, so Casey's a bit surprised when she gets a call from Rose at Cyprus Women's Health Center asking her to come by the office on Sunday afternoon at six-fifteen. Surprising because first of all, the appointment is after hours and secondly, the time puts it at forty-two hours since the test.

"Hi, Casey," Julie greets as Casey opens the door to the waiting room. She's alone, except for Rose, whose packing up her stuff and heading home for the day. "Why don't you come on back?"

Casey dutifully follows the doctor back past the exam rooms and the nurse's station to her office and Julie motions for her to take a seat.

"Is…is something wrong?" Casey asks as she sinks into the chair across from Julie's desk.

"No, there's nothing wrong with the baby," Julie assures her as she opens a manila folder and Casey sighs with relief. "I got your paternity test results back."

"Those weren't supposed to be in until ten tonight," Casey reminds her.

"Well, apparently, there isn't a lot of DNA that needed processing in Cleveland this weekend. Must be the criminal's labor day weekend," Julie says trying to get a smile from her very nervous patient. "So we got you're results back early."

"Okay," Casey drawls out as she chews on her bottom lip.

"As you know, they took the baby's preliminary DNA and compared it to yours to rule out…"

"I know how it works," Casey snaps before her voice softens out of desperation. "Can…can you just tell me who it is?"

"Okay," Julie says nodding her head. "Casey, it's…"

* * *

"Casey," his voice calls out to her as he attempts to catch up to her. "Casey!"

She pulls her half-chewed finger nail out of her mouth as she turns around to face him. He shakes his head with bewilderment at her tear stained face and puffy eyes.

"Are you okay?" He asks lifting his hand to touch her face before he realizes what he's doing and drops it back to his side uselessly.

"I'm fine," she assures him but he doesn't believe her for one second. "Whadda need?"

"I just wanted to give you the heads up that Kyle is going to stop by and invite the ZBZs to mix with us in honor of restrictions being lifted and all."

"Ashleigh already told me…but that's not why you've stopped me in the middle of the sidewalk."

"No," he says. "My parents are going to be heading through Cyprus on Wednesday and I thought that this would be a good time to tell them."

"Tell them what?" Casey asks, although she is pretty sure she could guess what he means in less than three tries.

"About the…you know," he replies eyeing her stomach.

"Don't worry about it," she says shaking her head and begins to turn back around before he grabs her arm to stop her.

"I know you're putting the baby up for adoption but I have to tell them. I _want_ to tell them," he says dropping his gaze so his connects with hers.

"You don't understand," she replies. "You don't need to."

"Dammit, Casey, I want to," he replies, his voice full of frustration.

"No," she replies as almost a whisper. "You don't have to because you're _not_ the father."

"What?" he asks his voice cracking.

"You're not the father, Evan," she repeats as he sinks down onto the bus station bench and she shifts from one foot to the other unsure if she should sit down next to him or keep walking.

"How…how do you know?" He asks her and she decides to take a seat next to him.

"I took a test and the results came back today," she replies.

"Oh," he whispers and they both let this realization sink in without another word between them.

"I kinda figured. We were having so many problems and…"

"Weren't having sex frequently," she mumbles.

"I guess I was just holding on to the idea," he replies. "That I could have you. But it's him. It's _always_ been him, Casey. I don't even know why I even bothered."

"Evan," she starts but he cuts her off.

"It's okay. I thought if I…" he trails off.

"Evan, I never meant to hurt you."

"I know. But when it comes down to it, you grabbed his hand first," he replies staring off towards the Psi Phi Pi house, whose members are currently racing robots across the front lawn. Shaking his head, Evan stands up and, without looking at Casey, begins to speak.

"See you around campus, Casey."

"See you around," Casey replies as she watches Evan continue down Greek row towards the Omega Chi house.

* * *

She thought that telling Evan would be the hard part, that telling Cappie would be _easy_. But she's standing at the top of the stairs watching Cappie pull Rebecca out of the house and, suddenly, she can't stomach the idea of telling him.

As the door slams, an overwhelming need comes over her and Casey drops to her knees as she vomits on the ZBZ staircase twice.

"Casey!" Some of the girls shriek as the few on the second floor and those passing through the foyer rush to her side. Ashleigh grabs her arm to steady her swaying body and Frannie pulls back her stringy, blonde hair to keep her from vomiting on it as Casey's body shakes with sobs and her stomach wrenches again.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, after stripping Casey of her clothes through sobs and helping her slip into a t-shirt and a pair of Soffe shorts, Frannie and Ashleigh quietly talk in the doorway of Ashleigh and Casey's room.

"She's killing herself," Frannie says darting a look at Casey, who's passed out from exhaustion on top of her bed. "What are we going to do?"

"There's nothing we can do. We can't make Rebecca break up with Cappie…" Ashleigh trails off as Frannie raises her eyebrows. "And what do we say with Casey starts going out with him? Besides, we don't even know if that's what caused it."

Frannie snorts and Ashleigh rolls her eyes.

"Dumb comment, I know. But next week is summer vacation and Casey will be back in Chicago. All we can do is get Casey through this week, especially on Friday since we don't want a repeat of the last Omega Chi mixer, and let her sort everything out on her own terms."


	15. Chapter 15

"Is something wrong, Cappie?" Rebecca asks from her place on top of Cappie's bed as she watches him pace back and forth across his room from the closet to the dresser and back again. He's been pacing for seventeen minutes, ever since he pulled her from the ZBZ house and told he needed to talk to her _right_ now. And for the past seventeen minutes, she's been sitting in the same place watching him pace back and forth.

Back and forth.

Back and forth in awkward silence and Rebecca wonders if he still hasn't forgiven her for the whole Mr. Purr-fect debacle. But he can't blame her because they was a bet, which she _lost _because he through the final competition, that requires her to scrub hepatics ridden toilets.

"I know things got out hand with the competition and all but…" she says mustering up as much gumption as she can to apologize _again_ before being competitive.

"You're Rebecca freakin' Logan," Cappie tells her as he stops but doesn't look at her. Instead his gaze is firmly fixed on the bird outside his window.

"You've said that before," Rebecca replies.

"You're Rebecca freakin' Logan," he repeats and turns to face her. "You're Rebecca freakin' Logan…"

"And?" She snaps becoming more and more frustrated with his repetition.

"And…and I'm Cappie," he replies softly and this familiar feeling washes over as he continues. "I'm Cappie. Plain and simple. Just Cappie."

"I like 'Just Cappie,'" she assures him as she slides off the bed and stops directly in front of him. "I _love_ 'Just Cappie.'"

"No," He replies turning away from her. "No, you don't. You like me. You love pissing Casey off. You love stealing everything, _everyone _she has."

She recoils with his statement and his features soften as he tentatively reaches out to touch her hand, which she pulls away.

"Rebecca, you're great. Really, you are. But…"

"I'm not Casey Cartwright," she snaps at him and Cappie's shoulders slump.

"This…this was a fling that I…," Cappie trails off. "I let go too far, I let become more than just getting back at Casey as we _both_ originally intended it to be. And I started to feel more for you, Bexs. But…"

"I'm not Casey Cartwright," she repeats and Cappie slowly nods his head. In a huff, she storms towards the door. Without turning back around, she pauses with one hand on the doorknob and sighs.

"If…if Casey wasn't pregnant, would we be having this conversation?"

"Yeah," Cappie replies barely above a whisper. "As you said before, I'm a one woman…"

"Man," he finishes after the door slams shut behind her.

* * *

She's going to tell him.

At least, that's what she decided after her little conversation with Evan this afternoon.

"_You really think Cappie's going to thank this thing?"_

"_And what's holding you back from telling him? Afraid he's going to thank that thing too?"_

Except, she watched him run off with Rebecca last night and all of the sudden she has a plethora of excuses.

She doesn't want to show up and see the two of them together.

_Again_.

She doesn't want to be a home wreaking whore.

A _pregnant_ home wreaking whore.

"You need to tell him, Casey," she mumbles to herself from her reclined position against the headboard and pillows of her bed.

"Did you say something?" Ashleigh asks as she admires her outfit in the mirror.

"No. Not a thing," Casey replies and she forces herself to smile at her friend.

"Are you still upset about burning Pussy Willow? Because I thought it was hilarious and a total symbolic nod towards _Lord of the Flies_ and the whole broken conch thing," Ashleigh tells her as she sinks down the bed next to her.

"Or," Ashleigh starts, "you're trying to figure out how you're going to tell Mr. Kappa Tau that he's your baby daddy."

Ashleigh nudges Casey bit and in return, Casey gives her a completely deadpan look.

"What's the worse that can happen?"

"Uh, he tells me that he wants nothing to do with my pregnancy and wants to ride off into the sunset with Rebecca Logan."

"First of all, you're giving the baby up so if he doesn't want to be involved in your knocked up ness, then it doesn't really matter. And second of all, he and Rebecca broke up, so he's…"

"What?" Casey asks as she sits up completely. "When?"

"Um, last night. Wow, I can't believe you didn't hear her crying last night. It's a good thing you're giving the baby up because I'd totally be afraid it would cry all night and you'd never hear it."

"Ash," Casey replies in a warning tone.

"You need to just tell him, Casey. Honesty's…"

"The best policy," Casey fills in.

"Uh huh, but for now, let's go to Dobler's and you can be my wing woman," Ashleigh tells her as she stands up and grabs her purse.

"Uh, Ash, you might want find a new Goose to your Maverick since…" Casey trails off gesturing to her belly.

"_Right_," Ashleigh replies. "Do you mind if…"

"No," Casey tells her as she picks up her psychology textbook that was pushed to the side when she sat up. "Go ahead. I'm going to study. Do a little presidential work."

"Okay," Ashleigh says with a smile before opening the door. "Kristen, Samantha, you guys wanna go to Dobler's?"

Sighing, Casey leans back against the pillows. She has to tell him. She _needs_ to tell him.

Tossing her textbook to the side, she slides off the bed and walks over to her desk. Picking up her pink cell phone, she opens the address book and scrolls past the As and Bs until she gets to the name she's looking for.

With all the courage she can muster, she pushes the talk button on her cell phone and waits to be connected.

One ring.

Two rings.

Three rings.

Four rings.

Five rings.

"Hello?" The voice on the other end asks and for a moment Casey almost falls for it until the answer machine continues. "Okay, so I didn't answer my phone. This is Cappie's answering machine so leave you name and…beep!"

Not today.

_Tomorrow_.

She promises.


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note: **Thank you for being so patient. I couldn't get this chapter to come out the way I wanted it too and I'm still not satisfied.

* * *

Casey has a plan. She's just going to do it. Rip off the band-aid. No anesthesia.

Which would explain why she's standing on the front porch of the Kappa Tau house at eleven thirty, an ungodly hour for the Kappa Tau boys.

It's the day after the TriPi's year end wet t-shirt contest and party. And if Casey knows the Kappa Taus, they're hung over in the living room of either house, a TriPi tangled up in them.

But the idea of seeing Cappie tangled up in another girl is too much for her, so Casey sighs and walks away from the house back towards her own for a nice, hot shower.

* * *

"Oh my God! You're huge," Ashleigh exclaims as Casey peels off another shirt and throws it into the large pile currently sitting outside the closet door in the middle of their room.

"Thanks Ash," Casey replies as her hand drops self-consciously to her belly. "Way to make me feel better."

"I didn't mean it like that. It's just…Wow! There's actually a baby in there," Ashleigh says as Casey throws another shirt onto the pile and turns to face her.

"I've popped, okay?" Casey tells her. "Some time between yesterday and today, I've become a bloated cow. I've even had to bust out my Aunt Flo jeans," Casey says gesturing to the jeans she is currently wearing.

"Your _what_ jeans?"

"My Aunt Flo jeans. The I'm-on-my-period-and-bloated-jeans," Casey says as she rips another shirt from its hanger.

"Well, you won't have to worry about _that_ for…"

"Twenty-one more weeks," Casey fills in for her before dropping the shirt onto the pile

"You're almost halfway there," Ashleigh offers as consolation.

"Yippie!" Casey sarcastically responds while twirling her finger. She pulls a plain green tee off its hanger and slips it on. "Finally!"

Turning on her heels, she marches back over to Ashleigh and stands in profile.

"Tell me I just look bloated," Casey says as she runs her hands down her stomach. "And don't lie to me and say I look great."

"Bloated," Ashleigh assures. "Definitely bloated."

"Good," Casey says as she sinks down onto her bed. "So what's up?"

"Have you talked to Cappie since you found out?"

"No."

"Case, you kinda need to tell him. Like today."

"Tomorrow. I promise. I have a doctor's appointment and I'll tell him then, okay?"

"No," Ashleigh says shaking her head at Casey's suggestion. "Today. because he's totally sitting downstairs waiting to talk to you."

"Great," Casey sighs. "Do I have to talk to him?"

"Um, yeah. You're kind of having his baby," Ashleigh replies and Casey sighs again.

"Hey, why don't you tell him off like you did Evan?" Ashleigh asks and Casey gets up off her bed.

"I didn't tell Evan off. I just told him how I was feeling," Casey replies. Grabbing her black zip up hoodie, she slips it on and jams her feet into a pair of blue and green checkered, slip on Keds.

Most her shoes don't fit comfortably anymore, so in a moment of pregnancy-induced weakness, she had bought herself a pair of sneakers that weren't for running. A big _no-no_ in the ZBZ world.

"Really? Because that's not what I saw. That's not what _all_ of us saw."

"That was a long time ago, Ash, so can we please just get _over_ it?"

"Okay, okay," Ashleigh says as Casey shuts the door behind herself. "But you're so _not_ over Cappie."

* * *

"Cappie?" Casey asks and Cappie turns around to face Casey as she walks down the last two steps of the staircase. "What are you doing here?"

"I, uh, wanted to see you," he says clearing his throat. "How…?"

Casey grabs the sleeve of his shirts and drags him out of the house.

"Wh…what?" Cappie sputters. Casey keeps walking down the path and Cappie rushes to catch up with him.

"I don't talk about the baby in there," she says shaking her head. "My room? Sure. But not in front of all the girls."

"Okay," Cappie replies touching her elbow and Casey stops in the middle of the walkway to look at him. "But I wasn't going to ask about the baby. I was going to ask about _you_."

Casey eyes him suspiciously but keeps walking down the familiar street that makes up Greek row.

"Case," Cappie calls after her, hurrying to catch up with her again. "Are you mad at me?" He pulls on her arm so she's stopped and looking at him.

"No," Casey says with sarcasm, drawing out the 'O'.

"Okay, so you are mad at me."

"God, Cap," she says putting her hand against her forehead in frustration.

"What did I do?" Cappie asks, his voice coated in desperation.

"Uh, besides getting me pregnant?" Casey snaps at him.

Cappie opens his mouth and then shuts it as he tries to piece his thoughts into a coherent sentence.

"I'm the father?" He asks and all Casey can do is nod her head up and down in response before Cappie breaks out into the largest smile she's ever seen. "I'm the father. I'm the father."

Her eyes shift uncomfortably with the realization that people are staring at her. At him. And how for the second time in six weeks, she's arguing with a guy in the same spot about the mess that has become her life.

Grabbing his arm, she pulls him towards her and compels him to keep walking with her down the street but he stops dead in his tracks. Reaching out, he touches her cheek and Casey can feel her knees go weak.

"Case, we're going to be parents," he says with that same grin and Casey can't help but match it. "We're havin' a baby."

"Cappie," she starts, dragging out the last three syllables and Cappie gives her an all knowing smile as he holds her gaze and her knees go weaker.

"I'm not ready for another relationship, Cap," Casey says abruptly as she breaks her gaze from his.

"This…all of this," she says gesturing to her belly, "has left me…I'm not ready for a relationship."

"Case," Cappie drags out. "I want us to be parents. Together. I lo…"

"No," she says. "Don't say it. I'm not ready for anything. You and me. Me and Evan. Evan and you. Not a thing."

Cappie gives her a painful, dejected look and Casey can feel a bit of her heart breaking at his expression. She turns away from him as a way to keep up appearances.

"And what about the baby?" Cappie asks as he sinks down onto the bench beside them.

"What about it?" Casey asks as she sits down next to him. "You want to be involved. That's fine."

"Yeah, but I also want you."

"I _can't_," she tells him as she backs away from him and heads back to the house.

"Casey!" He calls after her as he rushes to catch up with her for the umpteenth time. "And what about after?"

"After what?" She asks him as she tucks a stray hair behind her ear.

"After you have the baby," he tells her as his hands drop between his legs and his shoulders slump. "What then?"

"I'm giving the baby up for adoption, Cap. I've made up my mind. It's _final_."


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: **Thanks to JPNeverlosetheButterflies for Cappie's screen name and once a whore for Ashleigh's.

* * *

Unable to get comfortable, unable to relax her body, Casey strains to get out of bed and shuffles over to her desk. Flipping on her computer, her AIM buddy list immediately pops up and alerts her that two friends are online, ride_a_cappie and fashi0nLOVE. Fashi0nLOVE is Ashleigh, who never remembers to log off. Ride_a_cappie is Cappie and Casey scrolls her curser over to change her offline status but, hesitating, she sighs and clicks the red 'X' instead.

Sighing, she clicks on her internet browser and, waiting patiently for her home page to load, runs her hand along the underside of her belly. The waist band of her shorts are digging into the soft flesh of her underbelly and the top of her tank top hits right below her belly button so that a line of pale skin peeks out. Her hand begins to make lazy circles on the exposed skin and with her other hand, she clicks on the 'Your Pregnancy This Week' tab on the left hand corner of Baby Center.

Last week the recommended activity was to start the name picking process but Casey had shut the window rapidly at the suggestion. To name the baby would make it all the more real, just like finding out the sex. But to name a child she wasn't keeping?

That would be _insane_.

"You should begin to feel the baby move, if you haven't already," Casey mumbles under her breath, reading the script off of her computer screen. "Typically, women equate the movement with the flutter of butterflies."

And then, as if on cue, the baby suddenly moves.

Casey drops her attention down to her belly, her mouth hanging open in surprise and before she can discredit what she felt, the movement begins again.

* * *

The waiting room's empty except for her and Casey attributes it to the fact that she's the first appointment of the day.

When she had arrived at Cyprus Women's Health Clinic, the receptionist, Jodi, had just arrived to unlock the front door. Dr. Julie Carter hadn't arrived yet and Jodi had told Casey that she wouldn't be there until exactly nine-thirty because she had been on-call last night. Casey had just shrugged and sat down in one of the red, vinyl chairs and flipped through a five-month-old copy of Ohio Parent magazine. She hadn't intended to get there that early but after the baby had stopped moving, Casey had sat in bed wishing for it to start again.

She had seriously considered calling Julie until one of the ladies, who's expecting her fifth child, on the Baby Center Moms of September 2008 message board had told her that the baby was just sleeping.

"Casey Cartwright?" A nurse dressed in blue scrub pants and a green scrub top with blue flowers on it calls to the single woman in the waiting room. Casey stands and adjust her green and white layered tank tops before following the woman back to the clinic portion of the building.

Here she doesn't care about exposing her belly. _Here_ she can be pregnant.

The nurse pauses in front of the white scale and Casey slips off her flip flops and sets her purse on the hook before stepping onto the scale.

Eight pounds.

The nurse scribbles the new weight down on Casey's chart and points her in the direction of the correct exam room. Handing her a blue hospital gown that's been tucked under her arm the whole time, the nurse gives the single woman a smile and shuts the door to the room.

"It's always sad when they have no one," she tells the nurse behind the counter as she places the folder in the holder on the door.

* * *

A knock on the door breaks Casey's concentration on the bird outside the window and she turns to give Julie a small smile.

"How are you, Casey?"

"Uh, uncomfortable," Casey says and Julie chuckles in response.

"You and all my patients," Julie says as she sits down on her stool. "Where's your posse?"

"They…they aren't coming," Casey tells her as her forced smile falters.

"They didn't kill one another, did they?"

"No…Uh, Evan isn't a part of the posse anymore and Cappie isn't coming."

"Can I ask why?" Julie asks as concern settles on her face. When she had told Cappie and Evan to leave Casey alone, she hadn't meant for them to completely abandon the pregnant blonde. Usually, when the father bailed on the mother he did so immediately. He didn't show up for the fifteen week appointment and he certainly didn't look at her patient the way Cappie looked at Casey.

"I told him I'm giving the baby up for adoption," Casey confesses.

"Oh," Julie replies. "If that's what…"

A knock at the door interrupts her and Julie turns to look at the intruder.

"Dr. Carter," Hannah says. "Mrs. Frey is on the phone for you."

"Okay," Julie tells the nurse and turns back to Casey. "I'll be right back, okay?"

Casey nods her head in response as the doctor leaves the room.

"Hi, Emily," Julie says after taking the phone from Hannah. "No, no. That's normal…Alright, well if it will make you feel better to come on in, you can schedule an appointment. Let me get my receptionist for you and we'll get something straightened out."

Julie presses the hold button and puts the phone back on its receiver before walking towards the front office.

"Jodi, Mrs. Frey is on line one. Could you please schedule an appointment for today with her?"

"Sure, Dr. Car…" Jodi trails off as Julie strains her neck to look into the waiting room. She leans back off the counter and opens the door to the waiting room, her suspicions confirmed.

"Cappie?"

"Dr. Carter," Cappie says jumping to his feet. "Is Casey here? I couldn't remember if she had said nine-thirty or ten-thirty."

"She's here," Julie tells him.

"Oh, good," Cappie says with a sigh. "Can I…"

"Sure," she says as she opens the door wider and her slips past her. Julie steps in front of him to lead the way to the exam room and opens the door. "Look who I found."

"Cappie…" Casey says with wide eyes.

"Hey, Case."

"I didn't think you were coming."

"I told you I would and I _always_," he trails off as she throws him a dubious look, "for the most part keep my promises."

"Thanks," Casey sighs as Cappie sinks into a chair.

"Well, let's get started," Julie says as she open's Casey's file.

* * *

"Lift up your gown," Julie requests as she slips on a pair of yellow, latex gloves.

"Wow," Cappie says in disbelief from his place by Casey's head. "You're…"

"Huge," Casey says cutting him off. "I know. I've popped, okay?"

"Can I…" he trails off as he gestures to her belly and Casey shifts her gaze nervously.

"Okay," she mumbles and his warm hand lands on her stretched skin.

"Wow," Cappie mumbles as he slide his hand across her belly back towards him and drops it uselessly to his side.

"Is she moving yet?" He asks as Julie squirts the cold gel on Casey's belly.

"She?" Casey asks.

"Just a hunch," he says with a shrug. "Is she? Moving, I mean."

"Yeah," Casey replies as Julie busies herself with the sonogram. "Um, it started just last night."

"And here's your baby," Julie says dragging both of their attention to the black and white screen and for once, Casey doesn't correct someone on their assumption it's Cappie's. "Everything looks good, Casey. _Really good_."

And this time when Casey lets the water works flow, its tears of happiness.


	18. Chapter 18

Summer Break.

A time of bikinis and beer and parties on the beach.

Except Casey's huge and she's pregnant, so she can't drink.

And parties on the beach seem like a really good idea since she can't wear a bikini or drink.

So Casey's gone home. Driven back to Chicago and after dropping her suitcase, and Rusty, off at home, she speeds off to make her appointment.

Family First Adoption Agency.

_Helping to connect birth mothers and families since 1997. _

They're the best, as far as Casey's concerned. Their family profiles, family portraits, letters to the birth mother all left her with this feeling that what's she's doing is right. That she's not just dumping the evidence of her spontaneity.

Her _adultery_.

She shakes her head, shakes the thought out her mind as she opens the door to Family First's office. She walks up to the receptionist's desk, refusing to look at the people around her.

"I, uh, have an appointment with Claire Lively," she mumbles to the woman behind the desk.

"Okay," the redhead tells her. "What's your name?"

"Casey. Casey Cartwright," Casey mumbles as the woman clatters on her keyboard, typing in Casey's name.

"Of course," the redhead says with a nod of her head. "I'll let Claire know you're here. Why don't you take a seat?"

Casey glances back over her shoulder and mumbles a response to the woman that even she can't hear. Silently, her gaze fixated on the waiting room wooden floor, she walks across the room and takes a seat. A couple, a man with black hair and a brunette woman, are looking at her. The woman is eyeing her belly, which Casey had tried to hide by layering two shirts.

However, in profile, she looks pregnant. Completely and totally pregnant.

Another couple sits to her right. They both have brunette hair and the woman is trying to pretend she's not looking at Casey but, eventually, they make eye contact and Casey can detect the hope in her eyes.

It's the same hopeful look that Cappie gives her, _used_ to give her when he still held hope that they would get back together. That she would dump Evan and come crawling back to him.

Look where _that_ got her.

"Casey," a woman calls from the receptionist's desk and Casey jumps to her feet. She just wants to get out here. Here are women desperate to be mothers, desperate to have a baby and Casey, Casey just wants to give her baby away.

"Hi, Casey. I'm Claire Lively," the brunette says and she holds out her hand. Casey, with a trembling hand and a trembling _heart_, shakes it. "Why don't we go back into my office?"

She follows Claire through the maze of cubicles to a small corner office ad steps inside. Claire motions for her to take a seat in the blue chair by the window as Claire shuts the oak door to her office and takes a seat next to her.

"So, Casey, what led you to our agency?" Claire asks as she crosses her legs at the knee.

"Don't really beat around the bush, do you?" Casey snaps.

"Uh, I'm…" Claire trails off.

"Sorry, that was rude," Casey mumbles. "Uh, I, uh, saw you on the internet and decided to give you guys a shot."

"And what made you decide to…"

"Give my baby up? I'm in college. I'm heading to law school," Casey says.

Okay, so she doesn't know if she's going to law school for sure but it makes her feel better.

_Kinda_.

"Oh, congratulations," Claire replies.

"Uh, thanks. I, uh, I just want someone to love it. I want someone to be the parent I wish I could be."

* * *

_Awkward_.

That's how Casey would describe her conversation with Claire. She asked her about her everything.

What she does? What her plans are? Why she's doing this?

Just about everything except her blood type.

Except she had asked her about her blood type. And her social security number. And her parents name. And who the father is.

Except Casey doesn't know and instead of saying she doesn't know, she found herself rolling the first name that came of her lips. The name that's been rolling around her brain, on her tongue since she let CRU.

"_Cappie."_

So now, now she's meeting three families. Amanda and Matt Daniels. Caroline and John Davis. Jenna and Greg Toth.

* * *

"Casey?" A strawberry blonde woman asks as she fiddles with the strap on her purse. The man by her side has his hand on the woman's back and the other in resting by his side.

"Yes," Casey says as she pushes back her chair to stand up. She rests a hand on the bump of her belly and extends her other to shake their hands. "Mr. and Mrs. Davis?"

"John," the man corrects.

"And, please, call me Caroline," the woman replies as John pulls back her wife's chair and they both take a seat. "How…how are you?"

Casey smiles at Caroline's hesitation. It's comforting to know that someone else is just as uncomfortable with this situation as she it.

"I'm good," Casey says brushing a strand of hair away from her face. "And you?"

"We're…" John starts.

"So excited," Caroline informs him.

"Caroline," John tells her as he grabs her hand, his voice drops to a lower octave.

"It's just…we've waited so long and…"

"Caroline, we don't know if she's going to give us her baby for sure," John growls and Caroline drops her gaze to the white table cloth. "We _cannot_ get our hopes up."

"So, uh, what do you do?" Casey asks hoping to break the ice.

"I'm a homemaker," Caroline tells her.

"And I'm a lawyer," John adds.

"Oh, really? Because I'm going to law school. Well, I'm considering it," Casey trails off.

"What kind of lawyer? Corporate?" John asks and she furrows her brow at his question.

"Uh, yeah," Casey replies with hesitation and after the Davis order drinks, they all awkwardly sit in silence.

"So, where's the father?" John asks and Casey furrows her brow once again at his question.

"Ex..excuse me?" Casey asks.

"We just want to make sure he's not a bad apple, if you don't mind," Caroline adds.

"She shouldn't mind," John tells his wife. "After all, we're taking her problem off of her hands."

"I…I don't think this going to work," Casey says as she jumps to her feet, her chair sliding back across the floor and she turns to grab her purse.

"Wh…what?" Caroline sputters but Casey doesn't answer her and instead flees the restaurant.

* * *

She's supposed to meet the Daniels for coffee, or in her case, hot chocolate. Except after running out on the Daviess, she's not really in the mood to talk to another couple who will take "her problem off of her hands." So she's sitting in her car, her head against the headrest with her eyes closed letting the music from the radio wash over her. She doesn't care what's she listening to, she doesn't care as long as she doesn't have a repeat of today's lunch. As the song ends, she turns off the car and unbuckles her seatbelt. With a deep breath she opens the car door and slides out, the baby's somersaults doing nothing to calm her nerves.

"Casey Cartwright?" A woman's voice asks as Casey strides towards the front door of Starbucks. Turning, Casey tires to figure out where the voice came from as a woman and her husband stand to greet her.

"Mr. and Mrs. Daniels?" Casey asks them and they both nod.

"Matt, please," the man dressed in a untucked, plaid shirt and blue jean says. His voice has a slight twang to it that Casey can't place but knows isn't native to Chicago.

"And I'm Amanda," the man's wife says, her accent different from Matt's and distinctive of Chicago. She's wearing a forest green, summer dress that Casey remembers seeing online somewhere. Her brown hair frames her face but her smile instantly makes Casey forget her hesitations as she takes a seat next to them.

"Can I get you anything?" Matt asks her as he pulls back the chair for his wife.

"No, no, thank you," Casey replies as everyone takes a seat around the black, patio table. "Uh…"

"Why don't we tell you about ourselves," Matt offers as Amanda takes a sip of her coffee.

"Sure," Casey replies with a smile.

"We've been married for almost five years now," Matt tells her as she squeezes Amanda's hand. "We live in Southern Missouri on my…our farm but Amanda's originally from Chicago, so we're here trying our luck at adoption."

"How'd you two meet?" Casey asks with genuine interest and Amanda smiles at her interest.

"Uh, well, I was in St. Louis visiting a friend who went to Washington University and Matt was visiting the 'big city'," Amanda says while making quotation signs with her fingers.

"She likes to make fun of my country ways," Matt says with a smile.

"Yep," Amanda says nodding her head.

"And you had no problem moving to the country?" Casey asks.

"Nope," Amanda replies. "I have a husband who loves me. I can deal with the small town and the cows and the corn and the quilting bees."

"All I want now is to be a mom," Amanda adds, subconsciously looking at Casey's belly and Casey places her hand on her bump. "What about you?"

"I go to school in Ohio," Casey starts. "Cyprus-Rhodes University. I'm president of my sorority, Zeta Beta Zeta, and…"

"Really?" Amanda asks. "I'm a Zeta Beta Zeta. Andrew Clarke University."

Casey smiles, thinking that she could give Amanda and Matt a shot. She opens her mouth to respond when ringing of an unfamiliar call phone cuts her off. Amanda pulls the cell phone out of her purse.

"Sorry. I need to take this," she says before pushing the talk button and holding the phone up to her ear. "Amanda Daniel."

"Excuse me," Amanda says pushing a finger against her ear. "Can you repeat that?"

Casey shifts her gaze uncomfortably from Amanda to Matt to her belly but her head snaps back up as Amanda squeals.

"Thank you so much," Amanda says with a wide grin and snaps the phone shut. "That was Marie. Heidi's decided to pick us. Matt, we're going to be parents. We're going to be…"

Before Amanda can finish her sentence, Casey collects her purse and slips quietly from the table.

* * *

She doesn't feel much like going home and with four hours to kill before dinner with Greg and Jenna Toth, Casey decides to park her car in a downtown parking garage and wander around the shoreline of Chicago.

Her stomach growls with hunger and the baby kicks with demand for food, so Casey stops at one of those pretzel stands. The ones that aren't a good idea to eat but she's starving, so she buys one anyways and as she walks down the sidewalk, she pulls off chunks of the salty snack and pops them into her mouth.

Except every where she turns, she see children and their mothers.

"Mommy," one calls and Casey can't help but watch the child's mother pick the little girl with pigtails up. "I love you, Mommy."

"Connor," a woman calls as she scoops up her son and Connor lets out a howl of giggles.

"Congrats," Connor's mother says as she brushes past Casey and Casey drops her right hand to the side of her belly, only to feel the baby kick her right back.


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note:** I had big plans for this story but a series of unfortunate events prevented me from following my outline. Fast forward almost five years later and I've decided to give up trying to stick to my original plans. I've moved on with my life, lost touch with the show even before it went off the air.

However, I hate to leave you all hanging and since I have the epilogue already written, I've decided to post what remains of the next chapter and then the epilogue. It's all very rough and nowhere near the caliber I expect of my work today. But people are still waiting and asking for more so I am willing to post them and call this thing done. The epilogue will be up tomorrow.

* * *

"Glad to see you could finally make it home, Case," Karen Cartwright tells her daughter from the top of the stairs as Casey slips into the house through the front door.

"Hi Mom," Casey mumbles as Karen descends the stairs.

"There's someone in the living room to see you," Karen replies, gesturing to the living room with a nod of her head. Casey doesn't say anything, just brushes the comment off figuring the person to be her father. Absentmindedly, she heads to the kitchen via the living room.

'Hey Casey," a voice calls out to her and Casey pauses as she realizes she recognizes that voice. Turning, she sighs and places her hands on her hips.

"Cappie, what the hell are you doing here?"

He's not supposed to be here. This is supposed to be her time to make a decision, choose the right path for her and her baby. She waits for his response, waits for him to say something but this time words are failing him and he steps closer towards her. She steps back, physically rejects his advances.

"You're not being fair," he finally says. "You won't even give me the chance."

"Adoption is the best choice."

"You and I both know that's not true."

"Cappie, we have nothing to offer her. Neither of us have jobs. You can't even declare a major."

He shakes his head at her response, pulls a crumpled piece of paper out from the back pocket of his jeans.

"I did," he informs her as he hands her the paper. "I declared a major."

She glances at the paper stained with gum and water rings but carrying the official seal of the university. Cappie has a major. A real, official major.

"I'm trying here, Case. I want to be in my daughter's life and if that means growing up, I can do that."

"A major isn't enough, Cappie. We need a plan, and you hate planning."

"Not if planning gets me you and her," he tells her honestly. "Let me take you back to CRU. I have something to show you."

"Cappie, I'm not driving all the way back to campus with you tonight. It's ten hours and I have appointments, things I need to get done here."

"Please, Case. Just – just once, trust me, okay?"

* * *

"Where are we?" She asks him as she peers out the window.

"My apartment," he tells her because honesty is the best policy, especiallywhen it comes to Casey. She turns to look at him, confusion written all across her face.

"Stay here," he directs as he opens the door and slides out.

"Your what?" she asks him as she does the same.

"Case, stay in the car," he tells her as he fishes out his own keys and unlocks the front door of the apartment building.

"Tell me what's going on. What is this place?" She asks again as he leads her up the staircase to the second floor and unlocks the apartment door.

"Ladies first," he replies as he holds open the door for her. She raises her eyebrow at him and walks right into a white box.

"Ow," she mumbles as she reaches down to touch her shin and he brushes past her to wade through the items haphazardly strewn in the entry way and first few inches of the living room.

"Cappie, I need answers right now."

He sighs, jams his hands into his pockets as he stands in the middle of the apartment. Then, gesturing with a nod of his head, he points towards the largest box.

"That's a changing table and that over there is a car seat. The crib is in the other room. Her room."

"Cap," she starts to say but he interrupts her.

"This place is within walking distance of campus. There's a park down the street with swings and slides. The landlady said there are a couple of day care centers in the area. I haven't had the time to check them out yet, but if that's not what you want than I can stay here with her while you're in class."

"Cappie, this is all – it's a lot. And I know the gesture you're trying to make, but what about when the KTs throw a party or want to sit around and get stoned?"

"I quit KT."

"What?"

"Okay. I didn't quit," he corrects on a sigh. "But I will, if that's what you want. Because what I want is to be with you and our baby. I'll do anything you want, say anything you want. Just give me a chance."


	20. Epilogue

"Kappa…Kappa Tau…" a man's voice beside her breaks her thoughts and she stops dead in her tracks to look at him. Brows furrowed, she brushes away a strand of blonde hair from her face.

"Excuse me?"

"Your necklace," the man, whom she kind of recognizes, says as he points at the golden letters around her neck. "Kappa Tau…What's the last one?"

"Gamma," she replies. "Kappa Tau Gamma."

"We don't have that here," the man informs her, his own brows furrowed.

"Nope," she replies.

"Still holding on to a lost love? I only ask because Kappa Tau Gamma isn't a sorority," he tells her as if he's trying to compensate for his question before his voice drops lower as his certainty does the same. "Is it?"

"No, and I guess you could say that," she says as she grips the strap of her messenger bag and pulls it higher up onto her shoulder. There's a red imprint in her flesh, where the bag used to rest, right below the strap of her hot pink tank top. She smiles at him as she takes a step forward.

"I'm Luke, by the way," the man tells her as he walks along side her. "Luke Steinberg."

"Casey," she replies without stopping her movement across the quad. "Casey Cartwright."

"Well, Casey, I'm assuming that you don't just haul around criminal law books for fun, so would it be safe to say you're in law school?"

"Well, you know what they say happens when you assume. You make an ass out of me _and_ you," she says stopping so that she faces him and her smile matches his. "But in this case, you are correct. I'm a law student, second year."

"What a coincidence," Luke says holding up his own copy of _Criminal Law_. "Me too."

"I wouldn't call it a coincidence, since you're in my class and all," she tells him with a smirk.

"Alright, you caught me there."

"That I did," she replies without losing her smirk and she turns to continue down the path.

"So, I'm going to assume again and go with the idea that the Kappa Tau guy isn't around anymore," he tells her and Casey snorts as stops and faces him again. "Can I tempt you to have a cup of coffee with me?"

She turns her head so she not looking at him and shakes her head.

"My treat," he says trying to catch her eye. Turning her head, she smiles at him.

"Sorry, but I'm kind of waiting for the Kappa Tau guy," she replies.

"Are you sure he's going to show up?" Luke asks her.

"Oh, I'm pretty confident," she says tilting her head to the left as a gesture and Luke follows her gaze with his own as she turns around and crouches down low to the ground. Luke shakes his head in shock as little girl with dirty blonde hair and dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a brown shirt comes running up the sidewalk darting past law school students, undergrads, and prospective student tour groups sporting Northwestern's trademark purple. He blinks and suddenly the little girl is wrapped tightly in Casey's arms and the blonde picks the little girl up off the ground, her criminal law book forgotten on the sidewalk.

"Mommy!" the little girl squeals as Casey brushes her slightly curled dirty blonde hair out of her face.

"Okay, didn't see that one coming," Luke tells Casey.

"Most don't," Casey replies as her daughter wraps her arms around her neck. Casey taps on the little girl's arm until she pulls away and looks at him. "Caitlin, this is my friend Luke. Luke, this is my daughter, Caitlin."

"Nice to meet you, Caitlin," Luke manages to make himself say and the little girl slyly smiles and waves hello. "How old are you, Caitlin?"

She doesn't respond, just holds up her hand with the ring finger trapped under her thumb.

"Three, huh?" Luke asks and Caitlin nods, her hair moving with her movements making Luke smile.

"Cappie," Casey says and Luke turns his attention to the man that's suddenly appeared next to them. Bending down, he picks up her forgotten textbook and holds it to his side as he sticks out his hand.

"Cappie," he offers and Luke shifts his own criminal law book so he can shake Cappie's hand.

"Luke," he replies as he shakes the other guy's hand. "So you must be the Kappa Tau guy."

Cappie doesn't reply, just raises an eyebrow, which makes Casey laugh.

"Luke and I were just talking about what happens when you assume," Casey fills in for him.

"Oh," Cappie says as though he just figured out the cure of some incurable disease. "How you make an A-S-S out of you and me."

Casey nods and Luke forces himself to smile.

"Are you ready to go?" Cappie asks her as he pulls her messenger bag off of her shoulder and onto his. "T-minus four hours."

She gives him a quick smile and turns back to Luke. "Cappie's photography exhibits tonight. You should come."

"Uh, sure," Luke replies. "When…"

"Eight o'clock," Cappie tells him as he fishes a card and two tickets out of his blue jean pocket and it's only then does Luke realize that there's a camera hanging under his arm. "At the Granger Exhibit."

"Uh, okay," Luke replies as Cappie hands him the card and the tickets and Casey smiles at him as she sets Caitlin down onto her own two feet.

"See you in class, Luke."

"Uh, see you in class," he replies as she walks off with her criminal law book in one hand and her daughter's hand in the other. She and Cappie lift Caitlin off the ground and swing her in the air between them and to Caitlin's squeals, he glances down at the card in his hand.

"Caslin Photography. Cappie Jones," he says chocking back his laughter. "_Cappie_?"

After a quick Google search, Luke now knows that Cappie Jones is one of the "greatest photographers of our time," according to Times Magazine. "The next Annie Liebowitz," according to Newsweek. But what really made him pause was a story he did with _Vanity Fair_.

"Josh," Luke calls to his roommate. "Come read this."

"The first photograph I ever shot was of my parents at a political rally," Josh reads allowed. "What is this?"

"Remember that girl I told you about that's in one of my classes."

"Stacey?"

"Casey," he corrects. "This is the boyfriend, fiancé, husband, _whatever_."

"I've seen this guy's work," Josh tells him as he scrolls down. "Melissa loves it."

"Hey, Casey gave me two tickets," Luke says pulling the tickets out of his back pocket. "Do you two wanna go?"

"Dude, you have just made me the best boyfriend ever," Josh says as he snatches them out of his hand and snaps open his cell phone. "Mel, guess what I got…"

"The first photograph I ever shot was of my parents at a political rally," Casey reads aloud on top of the bathroom counter as Cappie dumps a cup of water on Caitlin's shampoo covered hair, his hand shielding her grayish blue eyes from the no tangles shampoo.

"I was five and I dropped the camera into the mud as soon as I took the photo, Captain Jones said. However, fast forward nineteen years and this former amateur photographer has won two Pulitzer prizes and countless other awards for his photographs."

Cappie doesn't reply as Casey peers out over the top of the magazine to see him dump another cup of water onto Caitlin's head.

"Yet, the man who goes by 'Cappie' says it's all to his 'Caslin.' Caslin was born out of combing Caitlin, his three-year old daughter's name with the name his girlfriend and Caitlin's mother, Casey Cartwright. And that shouldn't come as a shock. Instead of visiting him at his studio, I spent the day at home with Cappie and Caitlin. He and Casey live in a modest two bedroom apartment and despite having moved in nine months ago, a couple of boxes are still unpacked."

Casey groans and pulls the magazine down to her side.

"You just had to show them that."

"Case, they're stacked by the front door," he replies as he grabs a towel off the rack and scoops Caitlin up into it.

"Today, Cappie is painting daughter Caitlin's room but by the time I've arrived, the room is almost done. 'She and her mom chose purple,' he said as he rolled on the final coat of paint on the wall. When I asked if he was an early riser, he laughed. 'No, not until Caitlin. And even then, Casey would usually wind up getting up with her.' Kind of ironic considering when I arrived at nine-twenty, Cappie asked me to be quiet since Caitlin, or Caity as her father calls her, was still asleep in her parent's room. After he's done painting, I wandered around the apartment while Cappie 'hops' in the shower. The living room wall has a jumbled display of photographs, all of them black and white and all of them shots of Casey or Caitlin.

'They're my favorite subjects,' he told me from the entry to his bedroom, Caitlin's hand in his. 'I could spend all day taking photos of them. Occasionally, Casey has to tell me to put the camera down.' Casey is currently a second year law student at Northwestern University in Chicago, a twenty minute walk from their apartment, and, according to Cappie, she's going to be 'the best lawyer there ever will be.'"

Cappie gently pulls the magazine from Casey's hand and hands her the blow dryer instead.

"I need to get dressed. Someone else needs a little help from her mommy."

"But I'm not done reading," Casey whines as she slides off the counter and picks up the blue comb.

"Mommy, I wanna my hair to be like your," Caitlin tells her she steps up on the stool and Casey sprays her hair with detangler.

The show opens in twenty minutes and it'll take them twenty-five to get to the gallery, so Casey's not surprised that Cappie's pacing in the living room and she could be content to watch him all evening because she loves his face when he's thinking about something.

"Calm down, Cap," she tells him from the doorway and he turns around to face her, in the process his jaw dropping.

"You…look…stunning," he drawls out and Casey feels the shiver of déjà vu, especially since she's wearing the same red dress.

"What 'bout me, Daddy?" Caitlin whines, her grayish blue eyes wide in wonderment.

"You, Caity-girl," Cappie starts as he crosses the room and bends down right in front of her, "look perfect."

Standing up, he turns back to Casey and cups her cheek with his right hand.

"Absolutely perfect," he mumbles as he captures her lips in a soft kiss.

"Ew!" Caitlin screams and her parents break away.

"Remind me to kill Spitter for teaching her that," he tells her and she smiles.

"Speaking of Spitter, we need to go," she says recapturing Caitlin's hand in hers and heading towards the front door of the apartment. "And _no_ camera tonight."

He grabs the _Vanity Fair_ off the coffee table, figuring Casey would want to finish reading the article, and dutifully follows after her.

They're four blocks away now and he's getting nervous. Everyone has a small fear of rejection but this is how Cappie supports his family, how he gets to stay home and experience everything again through his daughter's eyes, how Casey gets to stay in school, how he proves to everyone, especially Dean Bowman, that he's not some freeloading guy riding on Casey's coattails.

Because Casey will set the world on fire and he'll be there to photograph every minute of it.

Caitlin's singing along to some song on the radio that he's not sure how she can hear because Casey's got it turned down so low, he's not even sure if it's on.

"At four-fifteen, I followed Cappie and Caitlin on the twenty minute walk to Northwestern's campus to met Casey. 'Usually, she comes home for lunch but today she's getting ready for a mock trail thing in one of her classes, so she worked through lunch but four-thirty to eight is Caitlin and my time,' said Cappie. 'We've always made sure that we spend time together every day since Caitlin was born.'

Which one can only assume was hard, considering Caitlin was born in summer between Casey and Cappie's junior and senior year at Cyprus-Rhodes University in Cyprus, Ohio but Cappie doesn't dwell on the past. All he would say is that they both made sacrifices for Caitlin, for each other, and for their respective Greek houses. Cappie served as president of Kappa Tau Gamma for junior and senior year and Casey served as president of Zeta Beta Zeta for spring semester of junior yearl. 'But in the end,' Cappie added, 'if I had to choose between my girls and the KT house, I'd pick Casey and Caitlin every time.'"

She throws him an all too familiar look and Cappie smirks back.

"Excluding the Mount Vesuvius party. But, hey, it worked out. The evening still ended with you wearing nothing and in my bed."

She smacks his arm playfully and turns her attention back to the magazine.

"It's a flurry of activity as Caitlin takes off towards her mother, who's crossing the quad talking to another guy, see opposite page. When I asked him if that made him nervous, Cappie shook his head. 'She grabbed my hand first,' he said. Cryptic? Yes but when I later asked Casey a question about the guys who flock to her, she said the same thing. 'Besides,' Cappie added, 'they all get freaked out when they hear Caitlin call her mommy.' Although, by the way Cappie looks at Casey, who grabbed whose hand first doesn't matter. His gaze even made my knees weak."

Casey snorts as Cappie changes lanes. They're only a block away now.

"The two of them asked me earlier if I would allow them their family time, so this is when I break off. They both throw me look of gratitude and they take Caitlin's hands in theirs and head back where we came from, swinging the little girl between them, see opposite page. Cappie's final advice, 'Don't have any regrets. Say what you mean. Mean what you say. And along the way, take lots of pictures.'"

She folds the magazine shut again as Cappie pulls the car to a stop. There are quite a few photographers standing outside the gallery but as Casey slides out of the car and Cappie lifts Caitlin out of her booster seat, no one raises their cameras. Cappie slips his fingers into Casey's as they make their way up the carpeted entrance to the gallery, Caitlin resting on his left hip as his left arm holds her up.

"Hey, Mike," Cappie says as the bouncer and ticket taker opens the door for them.

"Cap," Mike replies. "Quite a big crowd. Sold out show."

Making their way into the gallery, Mike lets the door shut behind them as cameras shutter wildly and the crowd of photographers outside roar.

"Miss Logan!" a handful call out hoping to capture the senator's daughter in their lenses. "Mr. Chambers!"

"Evan and Becca are here," Cappie informs Casey as they open the final door to the gallery.

"It's your night, Cap," Casey replies as Cappie's agent, Susan Fox, rushes over to them.

"There you two are," Susan exclaims. "I was getting nervous."

She hands them both a glass of champagne, causing Cappie to let go of Casey's hand to accept the fluke from Susan's outstretched arm.

"Hi, Susan," Casey replies as Cappie sets Caitlin down on the ground.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Susan says tapping on the side of her own glass of champagne with a knife that neither of them is sure how she got in a gallery that is only serving oeuvres. But knowing Susan, she probably has a handful of them in the suitcase she calls a purse. "Mr. Cappie Jones."

She steps aside and gestures for Cappie to make a small speech.

"Thank you all for coming. I hope you enjoy the photos," he says as he rests his hand on the small of Casey's back. The viewers politely clap, Karen and Russell Cartwright raising their glasses to their daughter, her boyfriend, and their granddaughter.

After realizing that Casey's way of doing things had worked out, Karen and Russell had both taken sabbaticals from teaching at Northwestern, deciding instead the travel the world, occasionally meeting up with the free spirited Joneses.

Cappie steers Casey towards a small huddle of friends gazing at the portrait of Casey that Cappie took on the fly as they walked by the lake one night. Her blue eyes are sparkling and her smile is contagious.

"Cap," Beaver says, slapping Cappie on the back, as the first to greet them. "Caity!"

Caitlin is immediately swung up into the air as she giggles.

"Unkie Bather," she says between giggles.

"Beaver, short stuff," Beaver corrects before setting the little girl in the red dress back onto the ground. "Ready for this?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Beaver's wife, Megan, replies. She's just shy of thirty-seven weeks and Casey and Cappie had both expressed concern about them driving up from Ohio to be here tonight but Megan would have nothing of it, saying that she wouldn't miss it for the world. The redhead is wearing a pretty blue dress and Cappie smiles as she grabs Beaver's hand and places it on her belly.

"Hey, Heath. Calvin," Cappie says nodding towards his frat brother and Heath's boyfriend. The two are holding hands, something that Cappie's glad to see. After their break-up four months ago, Casey was convinced that the two would never get back together. But Cappie had assured that those two had a magnet pull between them and, now that he knows he's right, Cappie will be able to collect on that bet they had wagered.

"Casey!" Ashleigh's high pitch voice says behind them and Casey turns on her heels to greet her friend, Caitlin beating her two it.

"Aunt Ashleigh!" Caitlin says as she hugs her mother's best friend's leg.

"Caity," Ashleigh cries with the same enthusiasm as Caitlin detaches herself from Ashleigh's leg.

"How come she can say Ashleigh's name correctly?" Beaver asks, elbowing Cappie in the side.

"Because Ashleigh sends her clothes. You sent her a football."

"And a soccer ball," Beaver replies gesturing to the photo behind him of Caitlin lying in mud next to her soccer ball.

"I didn't think you were coming," Casey says as she hugs her friend. "Didn't you have some show to get to?"

After graduation, Ashleigh had headed to Los Angeles to study fashion, something she couldn't do in Ohio, and Casey was pretty upset that her friend wasn't able to stop over in Chicago before heading to her show in New York.

"Tomorrow," Ashleigh says and she refuses to make eye contact with Cappie. Casey shifts her gaze from Ashleigh to Cappie and narrows her gaze.

"You two are up to something," Casey says.

"Maybe," Ashleigh says shrugging her shoulders. "I'm going to get some champagne."

Ashleigh walks off, hand in hand with Caitlin.

"Well, look who finally decided to drag himself away from the paparazzi," Cappie says as Evan Chambers makes his way over to him. Rebecca Logan trails behind him, his hand holding hers behind his back.

"Evan," Casey says. "Bexs, congratulations on the engagement."

"Thanks, Casey," Evan replies.

"You know," Rebecca starts, "Evan's number four in his class at Yale."

"Really," Cappie says encircling Casey's waist. "Casey's number two at Northwestern."

All four of them hold each other's gazes until they all suddenly break out in laughter.

"So where's Caitlin?" Evan asks.

"Who knows," Cappie replies. "Ashleigh's probably taken her to the nearest mall."

Casey elbows him but even she can't hide her smile.

"Excuse us," Cappie says pulling Casey away. "Enjoy the show, Evvie."

"Hey, Cap," Wade says raising his champagne glass to his friend. "Casey."

"Hi Wade," Casey greets as Cappie pulls her away.

"We'll be right back, Wade."

"At least tell me there's an after party!" Wade calls after them and Casey laughs.

"Spitter, are you sure you should be drinking that?" Cappie asks as he pulls the champagne fluke away from Rusty's mouth. "Wouldn't want you to ruin your girlfriend's dress."

"I can hold my liquor," Rusty replies. "Hey Casey."

"Now, now, Spitter," Cappie starts throwing his arm over the younger guy's shoulders and pulling him away from his girlfriend. "Let's not get all defensive now. I'm only looking out for Tina."

"Hi Tina," Casey says greeting Rusty's girlfriend. She had been surprised that the relationship made it past their freshman year, especially since Tina hates the Greek system but as their graduation drawls near, Casey sees no end in sight and Tina has, kind of, grown on her.

"Casey, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Casey replies as Tina marches over to one of the photos on the wall and points at it.

"How much would it cost me to get this photo and have all the other copies deleted?"

Casey walks over to Tina to get a better look at the photo she's talking about. The photo is in full color and in the middle of it, Tina is kissing Rusty. The photo is quite a few years old, since it was taken at the Kappa Tau house during the Vesuvius party senior year. Behind Rusty and Tina you can see the papier-mâché mountain but the "damaging" part of the photo isn't that the couple are kissing in the photo, it's that Tina is wearing an 'I Love Greeks' shirt that Rusty had managed to rouse up after spitting liquor onto her dress.

It's almost midnight but Cappie had been too energized after the show to sleep, so he managed to convince Casey to take a walk with him. He was expecting reluctance on her part, but with Ashleigh spending the night on their couch, they had a babysitter and he had a window of opportunity.

They're not wearing anything special. After the show, they had come home, tucked Caitlin in bed, and both thrown on a pair of jeans and sneakers. Over his blue t-shirt, he's thrown on his a long sleeve shirt, the one that's her favorite. She's wearing a grey Kappa Tau t-shirt under her zipped up black hoodie, her blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail.

"I was thinking," he says running his thumb over her index finger, their hands tightly clasped together.

"Mmm," Casey replies, her head resting against his shoulder as they keep walking.

"In seven years, Evan will be running for senator. Rebecca will be paying the part of dutiful candidate's wife. Wade will have turned his small ad firm into one of the nation's largest. Rusty will have unlocked some secret for polymer science. Tina will be protesting something. Beaver will be teaching his sons, and daughters, how to play football while coaching at CRU. Ashleigh will be some famous fashion designer and I'll have to go to her shows. Caitlin will be ten. And you'll be a partner at some law firm."

"And what about you?" Casey asks, not missing a beat. "Winning another Pulitzer prize?"

"I will be right here," he replies.

"What are you going to do? Be one of those silver paint statue guys?"

"No, I'll be right here _with you_," he replies, dropping his head to kiss her temple.

"_Marry me_," he mumbles and Casey stops dead in her tracks.

"Wh…what?"

"Marry me," he repeats holding out the ring box he's been carrying around in his pocket for ten days. "In seven years, in our ten years, I just wanna be with you. And Caitlin. So _marry me_."

"Yes," she whispers.

"Yes?"

"Yes," she repeats. "A thousand times yes."

He smiles and she snakes her hand around his head, pulling his face towards hers until their lips touch. Breaking away from their kiss, he pulls away slightly and smiles.

"I love you," he mumbles before recapturing her lips with his.


End file.
